China CCP Wants Farmers to Bail Out Economy

China CCP Wants Farmers to Bail Out Economy

CCP Chinese Communist Party Wants Farmers to Bail Out The Economy !!!

China's exports have been hit hard as the financial crisis cuts down global consumption, and the Chinese regime is hoping the nation's farmers will fill the gap. The regime is offering a 13 percent subsidy on the cost of household appliances in a bid to boost domestic consumption, which accounts for only 35 percent of the nation's GDP. But while state-controlled media say the scheme has been a success, farmers tell a different story.
Global consumption has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Official statistics show that China's exports have fallen for the past five months.

And with home appliances making up half of China's export revenue, the Chinese regime is looking to the nation's farmers to reignite the economy by buying surplus stock.

Launched in February this year, the Rural Home Appliance Subsidy offers farmers 13 percent off the price of appliances such as televisions and refrigerators.

State-controlled media outlet Xinhua news says the plan has been a big success, and sales of household appliances in rural areas had surged more than 70 percent.

But this farmer from Yantai in Shandong Province, says he doesn't know of anyone who bought appliances.

I didnt buy any. Nobody around me bought any. Hardly anyone bought any. Not even one percent. Those who can afford appliances have bought them already. Those who couldn't afford them still can't afford them. Appliances aren't like food or other consumables. You only buy a new one when the one you have is broken."

Another farmer from Zhongjiang, Sichuan Province says most farmers dont have the money to buy these kinds of items.

Generally, farmers are too poor. The only people taking advantage of the Rural Home Appliance Subsidy are government officials. To be honest there aren't many ordinary citizens buying appliances.

Former Boston University economics scholar Dr. Jian Tianlun says that China's economy has relied too heavily on exports, leading to an oversupply of goods. Dr. Jian doubts the plan will work.

[Jian Tianlun, Former Boston University Economics Scholar]:
Over the past six months, more than 20 million migrant workers have returned to their villages from major cities due to the decline in exports. The migration is still continuing. This will probably affect their household income. So I don't feel optimistic about the Rural Home Appliance Subsidy."

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Josie Lau removed from her position as Vice President

Josie Lau’s team in no mood to talk

Members of Ms Josie Lau’s team are not in the mood to talk after Aware’s extraordinary general meeting, it seems.

Calls to them either went unanswered or were met with short replies in which they declined further comments.

The Sunday Times understands that Ms Lau, formerly vice-president for consumer banking group, cards and unsecured loans at DBS Bank, has been redesignated to a new role. When contacted, DBS would say only that she is still working at the bank. Ms Lau did not answer calls.

Former assistant honorary secretary Sally Ang sounded cordial when she returned a call. But when she found out that she was speaking to a reporter, she said: ‘I don’t speak to reporters. I’m sorry.’

Similarly, senior lawyer Thio Su Mien, the self-styled ‘feminist mentor’ to some of the women on Ms Lau’s team, answered the phone with a gruff ‘Who’s that?’

When told she was speaking to The Sunday Times, she declined further comment. When asked if she was hoping for closure to the saga, she said: ‘Closure will come. People should move on and focus on Mas Selamat’s capture.’

Six members of Ms Lau’s team attend the Church of Our Saviour (COOS). Senior pastor Derek Hong had expressed regret over his use of the pulpit to rally support for the team.

Approached by The Sunday Times after a sermon yesterday, he said: ‘I just want to move on and forget about it. I don’t want to comment any more on this issue. God bless.’

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MAS SELAMAT: He was a 'bad swimmer'

May 10, 2009

CAPTURE OF MAS SELAMAT

He was a 'bad swimmer'

Mas Selamat had good friends who would help: Jailed terrorist

By Salim Osman, Indonesia Correspondent
		Improvised flotation devices such as rubber tyres or plastic tubes tied together are often used by illegal immigrants trying to slip into Singapore undetetced. -- ST FILE PHOTO

JAKARTA - A CONVICTED Singaporean terrorist who knew Mas Selamat Kastari from the days when both were on the run said on Saturday that the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader was a 'bad swimmer'.

But he was also a determined survivor, added Mohammad Hassan Saynudin, who is serving time here for killing a Christian school teacher and planning terrorist attacks in Indonesia.

Hassan, at one time a leader of the Singapore JI, was convicted last month and given an 18-year jail sentence.

Asked about Mas Selamat's capture in Johor, he said that while his fellow JI member had no relatives there, he had a few 'good friends' whom he could rely on for help.

'Mas Selamat is a determined survivor. He must have got help from one or two friends he could trust,' said Hassan, who spoke to The Sunday Times by phone on Saturday.

'All our 'ikhwan' in Singapore have been rounded up by the authorities. And very few are left in Johor,' he added, using the Arabic term for 'brothers' to refer to other JI members.

Mas Selamat was born in Indonesia but migrated to Singapore in his youth. Both he and Hassan were in Johor at one time when they were trying to elude capture in 2002.

Hassan said he was initially sceptical when he learnt that his friend had escaped from the Whitley Detention Centre in February last year. As for his recapture, he said : 'It's amazing that this guy was able to escape and lived in Johor for a year without being detected. 'It speaks so much about the man's survival skills.'

When told that the fugitive had swum across the Johor Strait with the aid of an improvised flotation device, he remarked: 'Mas Selamat is a bad swimmer. 'I know this because we went swimming together while on the run in Bali. He can't swim more than 1km of the strait without some help.'

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MAS SELAMAT: Escape to Johor

May 10, 2009

CAPTURE OF MAS SELAMAT

Escape to Johor

By Mavis Toh
		Stulang, Johor, as seen from the coastline off Admiralty Road West. A Malaysian newspaper has reported that Mas Selamat had swum more than 1km to Stulang. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

View more photos

JUST where exactly in Singapore did Mas Selamat Kastari set off from to make that desperate swim across the Johor Strait to Malaysia?

That is a question that has gripped Singaporeans' imagination since news of his capture broke on Friday.

Not tough to swim over to Stulang STULANG in Johor Baru is so close to Singapore that one can read the word 'Senoko' painted on a chimney of the power plant sited on this side of the Causeway. When The Sunday Times visited Stulang on Sunday, we found people swimming and picnicking on the rocky, algae-covered shore. ... more Spots Mas Selamat likely set off from Jalan Bahtera The first thing you see at the end of Jalan Bahtera near Lim Chu Kang is a wire fence lining the shores of the Johor Strait. But walk 10m into the vegetated area that fringes the water and the razor-sharp fence stops. Go a bit deeper and the swampy land opens up to clear waters. ... more

On Saturday, a Malaysian newspaper reported that the terrorist had swum more than 1km to Stulang, Johor. Across from Stulang on the Singapore coast is the Senoko Power Station area. Close to this is Admiralty Road West, a secluded spot where illegal immigrants have been caught swimming to Singapore from Malaysia.

The police have said that Singapore's sea border is porous with 'multiple landing spots'. Secluded spots include Sarimbun Ramp, Lim Chu Kang, Kranji, Admiralty Road West and Senoko.

Since the Mas Selamat escape, the security ring thrown around the island has thickened, with more metal fences put up and police officers on patrol. 'Vulnerable' coastal landing spots have also been closely watched.

The Sunday Times on Saturday visited four spots to check how probable it was that Mas Selamat had swum to Johor from those areas. With us was a former president of the Singapore Nautical Institute, who declined to be named. The maritime expert analysed the water conditions of the four spots and the dangers and challenges of swimming across to Johor.

Some of the areas were partly fenced up with concertina wire. But there were spots a desperate person could enter in order to make his frantic dash across.

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Mas Selamat: Diary of a manhunt

Mas Selamat Caught
Diary of a manhunt
NO MAS
Around 4pm, Mas Selamat Kastari escaped through a toilet window at Whitley Road Detention Centre, triggering one of Singapore's largest manhunt.
10 May 2009

27 Feb, 2008: The disappearing act

Around 4pm, Mas Selamat Kastari escaped through a toilet window at Whitley Road Detention Centre, triggering one of Singapore's largest manhunt.

28 Feb, 2008: Hello? I'm Mas Selamat

A 58-year-old man made a prank call to the police claiming to be fugitive Mas Selamat.

Within minutes, the police traced the call to a public telephone at Block 10, Haig Road, and arrested the man.

29 Feb, 2008: Sighting at cemetery

A petrol station attendant alerted the authorities to a limping man making his way to Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery off Lornie Road. It was a false alarm.

29 Feb, 2008: Another sighting at Bukit Batok

Special Operations Command officers and Gurkhas converged on Bukit Batok Nature Park after a bus commuter's tip-off. But the overnight search yielded nothing.

1 Mar, 2008: False claims

Police sent on a wild-goose chase after a 49-year-old SMRT bus driver, Ng Hang Hai, called the police twice on 1 Mar claiming to have information about Mas Selamat.

Ng had a road-rage run-in with a motorcycle owner and wanted to get him into trouble.

On 24 Mar, Ng was given 21 months' jail.

Other mistaken identities:

# The police were alerted on 4 Mar after someone thought Mr Md Iqbal Hussain, 28, a Bangladeshi national who walks with a limp, was Mas Selamat.

# Comedian Ahmad Stokin, 51, who walks with a limp, also found himself the subject of unwanted scrutiny because of his likeness to Mas Selamat.

18 Mar, 2008: Mas Selamat in East Java?

The Jakarta Post reported on 18 Mar that Mas Selamat was seeking refuge in Tuban, East Java.

But this was later refuted by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

27 Mar, 2008: Vice den found instead

Police stumbled upon a vice den run by Thai nationals while combing for Mas Selamat in a forested area in Yishun.

Eight men and 13 women between the ages of 21 and 39 were detained for immigration offences in the jungle along Yishun Avenue 6.

5 Jun, 2008: 100 days after escape

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said that he believed Mas Selamat had not left Singapore, reiterating a point made in Parliament in April.

This is because the police has received no information that he has fled to another country.

Jul 2008: MHA says Mas Selamat not in Indonesia

No intelligence to suggest he is there, said MHA in response to a Sunday Times report that he might be in Indonesia.

28 Nov, 2008: Hunt in Bukit Batok

Cops swarm Bukit Batok area after a tip-off that Mas Selamat was spotted.

Police officers from the special operations command and Gurkhas swung into action.

But only an illegally built hut was found in the forest.

Dec 2008: PM Lee says we will catch him

PM Lee, replying to a question on where fugitive JI leader Mas Selamat could be, said: 'We don't know. He could be here, he could be overseas...

'But the game is not over and one day we will catch him.'

Jan 2009: More likely fugitive has fled

Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said he could be in Singapore and hidden by sympathisers unknown to the authorities, or, he could have fled the country.

When asked which was more likely, he said the latter was more plausible.

Early April 2009: Fewer Mas Selamat posters seen

Since early last month, posters of the fugitive slowly disappeared from public spaces.

REMAIN ON GUARD

'Yes, we've got Mas Selamat in Malaysia and we'll get him back one day but do not for one moment believe that there will be no JI or terrorist threat now. Singaporeans must not think that just because Mas Selamat is arrested, the threat of terrorism will not be there anymore.

'It's important that Singaporeans be on guard. More importantly, it is important for all of our agencies to remain vigilant.

'Apart from Mas Selamat, there are other JI members still out there, and we haven't caught them, there could be many others that we do not know of. So we must not believe that with the arrest of Mas Selamat, we can let our guard down.'

- DPM Wong Kan Seng

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Mas Selamat: Most S'poreans polled say: Restrict his privileges

Mas Selamat Caught
Most S'poreans polled say: Restrict his privileges
NO MERCY
THE words made famous by one-time boxing champ Roberto Duran, when he buckled under unrelenting blows from his opponent Sugar Ray Leonard, were 'no mas, no mas'.
10 May 2009

THE words made famous by one-time boxing champ Roberto Duran, when he buckled under unrelenting blows from his opponent Sugar Ray Leonard, were 'no mas, no mas'.

In English, it means no more, no more.

This echoes the overwhelming reaction of 100 Singaporeans towards any further bids by Mas Selamat to exploit security lapses.

No mercy, no second chances, say Singaporeans who want all his privileges taken away.

He will be brought back to WDRC when the Malaysian authorities complete their investigations.

And when the detention doors slam shut, it should remain shut, say Singaporeans polled.

Failure to do so would mean Singapore's security services losing face again. And that would be unthinkable.

The New Paper asked 100 Singaporeans: Should Mas Selamat be treated as a normal Internal Security Department detainee? Or should his privileges be restricted?

A whopping 81 per cent picked the latter.

Many still remember how Mas Selamat's audacious escape last February had caused Singapore embarrassment internationally.

Social Costs

His actions also resulted in major inconveniences - traffic jams on the roads and at checkpoints, hundreds of people mobilised in the manhunt, a population gripped by fear over a terrorist chief on the loose.

Undergraduate Nick Lie, 22, said: 'His privileges should be restricted because his escape led to Singaporeans having less confidence in the Home Affairs team.

'There were also extra costs incurred when the (Government) had to mobilise NSmen to conduct searches and when they had to recruit more security-based personnel.'

Many suggested that Mas Selamat be locked up in a cell of the highest security.

Undergraduate Ivan Yeo, 25, said: 'He's a threat to the public. The Government cannot afford to let him slip away again.'

Ms A L Chan, 31, a marketing executive agreed, noting: 'He's already escaped twice.'

She was referring to his first bold escape from Indonesian authorities before he was caught and sent to Singapore.

'Nothing less than maximum security for him will do,' said Ms Chan. If previously he had three guards to watch over him, perhaps he should have six guards now.'

Toilet Watch

The people also wanted Mas Selamat to be watched over when he visits the toilet.

After all, he did make his jailbreak from a toilet window, they pointed out.

Mr Kenneth Tan, 27, a bank executive, said: 'Follow him into the toilet.'

Student Emily Tan, 22, even suggested that Mas Selamat not be allowed to go to a toilet outside his cell.

Instead, put a potty in his cell, she said.

Others suggested taking away all visitation rights.

Businessman Ken Lim, 32, said: 'That should be his punishment for escaping.'

Mas Selamat and his wife have five children - four boys and a girl - now aged 8 to 19.

Last year in Parliament, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said that family visits to sustain the detainee's bonds with his wife, children and other family members are an important part of the rehabilitation programme for detainees.

A handful - 19 per cent - felt that there was no need to restrict Mas Selamat's privileges despite his actions.

Mr Aravin Raaj, 26, who is unemployed, said: 'It might be seen as inhumane, especially by other countries.

'But the security at (WRDC) should be beefed up instead.'

All the other people we polled shared Mr Raaj's sentiments about stepping up security at the detention centre.

Indeed, Mr Wong told reporters yesterday that WRDC is 'today very different from the one on Feb 27, 2008' - the day Mas Selamat escaped.

'Many security measures have been put in place and that is the place we are going to put him.'

- Joanna Hor, Geraldine Yeo, Audrey Tan, Naveen Kanagalingam, Han Yongming, Jovita Chua, Kay Tan, Shea John Driscoll, Ervina Mohd Jamil, newsroom interns

HARD WORK PAID OFF

'ISD officers worked very hard, even after the setback last year which was a painful lesson for all of them. They did not give up and they continued to work their leads, they looked at every lead possible and for this particular one they developed this lead on their own, confirmed its credibility and shared it with the Malaysians.'

- Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng

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Mas Selamat: No $1 million pay-off for 3 S'pore bounty hunters

Mas Selamat Caught
No $1 million pay-off for 3 S'pore bounty hunters
NO MONEY
POOR bounty hunters.
By Desmond Ng
10 May 2009

POOR bounty hunters.

Now that Mas Selamat Kastari has been arrested by the Malaysian authorities, there goes the $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Months of hardwork, clandestine infiltration and covert operations have all gone up in smoke.

But that's part and parcel of bounty work, surely.

As it turned out, the three Singaporean bounty hunters who had quit their private sector jobs here to look for Mas Selamat last July had been looking in the wrong country - Indonesia.

Mas Selamat was captured in Malaysia last month.

And in all likelihood, Crime Library founder Mr Joseph Tan said the trio are still looking for him.

The three men have been volunteers with Crime Library since 2004.

Said Mr Tan: 'They (the bounty hunters) probably haven't received the news about Mas Selamat's capture yet. I'm sure they'll be disappointed because the $1 million reward is gone.

'Their gamble didn't go right. I think they'll be coming home if they know that he's been captured.'

Five months after Mas Selamat escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre, two anonymous businessmen had approached the government and offered the $1 million reward out of their own pockets.

The amount is Singapore's largest-ever reward for the capture of a wanted person.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng had said then that the police force does not offer cash for information on fugitives, unsolved crimes or help from the public.

But it does not object to private companies or individuals making the offer for Mas Selamat's whereabouts, he added.

So, is anyone getting the $1 million reward?

Mr Wong said that no private individuals were involved in providing the lead.

It was intelligence leads provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department late last year which played a key role leading to the arrest.

Tempted by the $1 million reward, the three bounty hunters packed their bags and headed to Indonesia last July .

Mr Tan - the founder of this non-profit organisation - said that he last spoke to them in January this year.

Back then, the bounty hunters, who are in their 20s, were still in Kalimantan, Indonesia, looking for Mas Selamat.

And they've been moving around Indonesia for the last 10 months in search of him.

The trio work as a team. Their aim was to blend into local communities in Indonesia and to seek leads that might pinpoint the hideout of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader.

Mr Tan, 42, is acting as their spokesman and their point of contact in Singapore.

He declined to reveal more details about the men for fear of blowing their cover.

He said he did not have their telephone numbers and the bounty hunters were the ones who have been contacting him instead.

They contacted him about once a month last year, and only once this year in January.

No problems

Said Mr Tan: 'They will update me about their situation there, but never in great detail about their operation or where they are.

'They'll also tell me about how they're doing. But so far, they said they've no problems there.'

The trio, who are all single, had undergone commando training during their national service, he said.

And they had been depending on their savings to fund their search.

Said Mr Tan: 'When I last spoke to them, they said they were following up on some leads and were mixing around with the locals.'

Mr Tan said Crime Library will not get a cut of any cash rewards if the bounty hunters managed to find any fugitives.

The organisation has helped solve about 440 missing person cases since it was founded in 2001.

Mr Tan said that after Mas Selamat went missing last February, all the leads were pointing towards Indonesia.

That was why the men decided to try their luck there.

The reward had created a buzz in the security industry, including those in neighbouring countries.

Mr Ponno Kalastree, 61, managing director of security and investigations agency Mainguard International, had mobilised agents in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines to look out for Mas Selamat last year.

He said that he heard about the arrest yesterday and has since told his bounty hunters about it.

But most of them are in various countries looking for other fugitives, so they would not be recalled home simply because Mas Selamat has been found.

Some terrorists have been caught after rewards were offered for their capture.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of the 11 Sep attacks, was captured in Pakistan in 2003 after a US$25 million ($37m) bounty was offered.

In 2007, four Filipinos were paid US$10 million ($15m) after Abu Sayyaf leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Sulaiman were discovered and killed.

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Mas Selamat: Johor's remote areas 'safer' hideout after crackdown in Indonesia

Mas Selamat Caught
Johor's remote areas 'safer' hideout after crackdown in Indonesia
NO SIGN
THERE was no sign of him in Singapore. There was no hint of his capture, as early as 1 April.
By Arul John
10 May 2009

THERE was no sign of him in Singapore. There was no hint of his capture, as early as 1 April.

Suddenly yesterday, news of his capture emerged - and led to more questions.

Why not inform Singaporeans? How did he end up in Johor? Why Johor Baru?

Previous speculation was that he would have made a run for it to disappear into the vast archipelago that is Indonesia. After all, he used to live there and is said to know many of the islands like the back of his hand.

Turns out, Mas Selamat was a lot nearer that anybody would have imagined.

The Bernama news agency reported that the fugitive leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network was arrested near Skudai, about 25km from Johor Baru.

So it is entirely possible that Singaporeans could have walked past Singapore's No 1 fugitive while shopping for cheap groceries or having a meal across the Causeway without even knowing it.

Analysts earlier said Mas Selamat was likely to be in Indonesia, where he was born and where he has links with JI leaders like Noordin Mohd Top.

Why would he risk hiding so close to Singapore, in an area that is often frequented by Singaporeans?

A source, who is familiar with the operations to nab Mas Selamat, told Bernama: 'We know that he has relatives staying in Skudai.'

Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna of the Centre of Excellence for National Security added that Johor was also a good place for Mas Selamat to be if he was planning terrorist operations against Singapore or other South-east Asian countries.

This is because of the proximity of Malaysia to Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.

He believes that Mas Selamat was rebuilding his terror network in Malaysia and planning to relocate to Indonesia.

He told Channel NewsAsia yesterday: 'The Malaysians only invoke ISA if it was close to execution stage. So (there's) enough evidence for them to invoke the Act, to make the case that there's a need for the Act to be implemented for Mas Selamat.'

Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak confirmed this, saying that Mas Selamat was plotting new attacks on Singapore when he was detained, reported AFP.

He said: '...his main focus at the time was Singapore. He was planning a lot of things in Singapore.'

Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters at a press conference yesterday that this was partly what got him caught.

Planning something

'He (Mas Selamat) was planning something, which allowed us to arrest him. We are becoming an expert on him,' Reuters reported him as saying.

'Hopefully, this time he will not escape us.'

Terrorism expert Clive Williams, of the Australian Defence Force Academy, thought Mas Selamat would be nabbed in Johor or near the Thai-Malaysian border, where he grew up and could easily blend in and hide.

Freelance defence and security analyst Dzirhan Mahadzir said Mas Selamat could first have fled to Indonesia, but later moved to Malaysia because the Indonesian government's crackdown on militants and terrorists made the place 'too hot' for him.

He said: 'He may have preferred to stay in Johor because the state has many remote areas where he can hide.'

Mr Dzirhan also did not rule out that Mas Selamat may have looked for shelter among JI supporters in the state.

Since Mas Selamat had met former JI head Abubakar Bashir at the Lukmanul Haqiem School in Ulu Tiram, Johor, which Bashir founded, and where Noordin was vice-principal, he said it was likely that there were some JI supporters in the state whom he could count on for support and help.

Mr Najib said Mas Selamat entered Malaysia a few days after he escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre on 27 Feb last year.

The date of his arrest, 1 Apr, was also the date Malaysians Abdul Matin Anol Rahmat and Johar Hassan were nabbed by Malaysian authorities, suggesting there may have been a link between the three men.

Mas Selamat is now detained in Malaysia under its Internal Security Act (ISA).

NEED FOR SECRECY

SILENCE, say experts reacting to the delay in news of Mas Selamat Kastari's arrest, is golden.

This is because the invaluable, critical information he could provide would override the public's need to know.

Mas Selamat was arrested by Malaysian police on 1 Apr but news of his capture did not become public on Thursday.

It could have been kept quiet for longer, if The Straits Times did not break the story yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said the Government did not inform the public earlier because of the need for secrecy.

Early release might 'compromise operations and jeopardise the sources of information'.

A statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said 'there were larger operational and security considerations at stake'.

The statement added that the Malaysian Special Branch and Singapore's Internal Security Department were 'not prepared to go public on the information until a time when it was operationally appropriate to reveal the details'.

Assistant Professor John Harrison of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies said the authorities would have first wanted to find out all they could about the JI network, what terrorist plots were being planned, what plans were disrupted, before announcing Mas Selamat's capture.

He said the Singapore authorities 'did well to give up the public relations victory for the long-term strategic one'.

Malaysian defence and security analyst Dzirhan Mahadzir said the Malaysian and Singapore governments probably never planned to release news of Mas Selamat's arrest this early.

He said: 'Keeping Mas Selamat's arrest secret would have the added advantage that his fellow operatives and contacts would go about their daily routines none the wiser and so be easier to nab.'

He said both governments probably did their best to deny the leaks but when they became too many and too close to accuracy, they had no choice but to confirm the news.

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Mas Selamat: His bloody-minded will to kill & survive at all costs

Mas Selamat Caught
His bloody-minded will to kill & survive at all costs
NO ESCAPE
THERE was, in the end, no escape.
By Santokh Singh
10 May 2009

THERE was, in the end, no escape.

After 399 days on the run, Mas Selamat Kastari is back where he belongs - behind bars - albeit in a detention cell in Malaysia.

The circumstances that led to his capture, the details of his daring swim across the Johor Straits, his plans and accomplices, if there are any, remain as murky as the 1.6km to 4.8km body of water separating Singapore and Malaysia.

Security agencies are not talking. They have questions of their own. And until they have their answers, they will not risk jeopardising their plans.

What little Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry has let on reveals a man so desperate - or so daring - as to wade into the deep waters of the Straits with little more than an improvised floatation device.

What must it have been like, presumably in the dark, in the cold of night, swimming at the mercy of strong currents, alone?

What relief - or arrogance - he must have felt when he collapsed on a beach in Johor.

What drove him through the 399 days on the run, hiding a face that was plastered everywhere in Singapore?

The answer could lie somewhere in his bloody-minded determination to kill, to elude, and to survive at all costs.

Hard slog

He was, after all, no mere foot soldier. He was the leader of regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

He had already proven his guile by fooling his guards and slipping away from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on 27 Feb last year.

He remained elusive despite a massive manhunt, until the day he reached the 'northern shores of Singapore', where he began his swim.

The exact date and place have yet to be established.

What did he use to stay afloat? That is also not yet known.

But what is clear is that he was picked up by the Malaysian Security Branch (MSB) on 1 Apr, following leads provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD).

He was arrested near Skudai, about 25km from Johor Baru city. Why Skudai? Bernama reported that he has relatives living there. That is about as much as the Malaysian authorities would say.

Are we sure he is the right man?

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told the media yesterday that his pictures and fingerprints confirm that the man is indeed the 48-year-old Singaporean.

Why isn't he back in Singapore?

The ISD is still waiting for its Malaysian counterparts to complete their investigations before he is 'sent back to Singapore in good time'.

When did the Home Team learn of his capture?

DPM Wong, who is also the Home Affairs minister, said that the ISD received a call from its Malaysian counterparts soon after the arrest on 1 Apr.

'We've not spoken with Mas Selamat and what we have is very brief. The Malaysians want to continue to interview him and we'll let them do their work.

'Until he's brought back to Singapore, that is all we have.'

It has been a hard slog by the ISD, whose officers followed up on the numerous tip-offs from the public - to no avail.

When the breakthrough did come, it was due to the efforts of the ISD in tracking down its own lead. That lead was passed to the MSB, which made the arrest.

Singapore and Malaysia, said Mr Wong, have been constantly in touch in investigations into the JI terrorist network.

Said DPM Wong: 'I must say that the Malaysians did an excellent job in tracking down and arresting Mas Selamat.

'There has been a long-standing cooperative cordial relationship between the ISD and the MSB, and as a result of this relationship, we're able to keep each of our countries safe, while contributing to the safety and security in the region.'

But why keep news of the arrest a secret for so long?

It was, said Mr Wong, for 'good operational reasons' because the Malaysians are looking into what other terror networks may be up to.

How could he just swim across undetected?

Singapore, replied Mr Wong, cannot have a 100 per cent fool-proof cordon.

Pointing to cases of cigarette smugglers and illegal immigrants who have swum into Singapore, he said: 'Singapore is a small country, it has a long coastline, it is porous.

'It is easy for people and goods to be brought in. So long as there are gaps, people will find a way to come in and go out.'

Mas Selamat found one gap, at the Whitley Road Detention Centre, and exploited it. He found another, on Singapore's long coastline, and seized it.

On April Fool's Day, he found himself trapped.

THEY ESCAPED TOO

Took Leng How, 24

The Malaysian was arrested for the murder of 8-year-old China girl Huang Na in 2004. While being accompanied home by police officers to retrieve his handphone, he asked to stop for food. After the meal, he asked to go to the restroom. He escaped and managed to sneak across the Causeway. Took surrendered more than a week later in Penang. He was hanged on 4 Nov, 2006.

David Rasif, 45

In June 2006, the lawyer went missing with $11.3million of his clients' money, handed over to his law firm for a property deal. Rasif had left Singapore for Bangkok to join his wife, who was there to attend a company function. But on the morning of 5 Jun, he left her, saying he had urgent business in Japan - and that was the last anyone saw of him. He was struck off the lawyers' roll in 2007.

Jerry Ee, 35

The former Cortina Holdings employee is alleged to have stolen 386 watches valued at over $8.5m and more than $27,000 cash during a Christmas Day heist at Cortina's Raffles City store last year.

Ee surrendered at the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok on 17 Mar with a friend and Singapore lawyer Amarick Gill. He faces 24 charges for watch thefts from the company from as early as November 2006.

Mark Koh Kian Tiong, 36

The former Criminal Investigation Department detective deserted the Singapore Police Force last year.

Koh was at the time being investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. He has since been struck off the force.

He owed about $29,000 to three banks and was declared a bankrupt in January last year after failing to repay his car loan. He did not respond to the lawsuits which were filed against him late last year.

Koh is listed under Interpol's wanted list for fraud.

Michael Vana

The ex-Malaysia Cup star was charged with six counts of corruption involving $375,000 in 1994, but jumped bail.

The Czech footballer reportedly fled the country and is still at large.

His Bayshore Park condominium was completely cleaned out of his personal belongings, except for his FAS blazer, a football and several pairs of shoes.

He was last seen having breakfast with former Lions goalkeeper Sandro Radun at the condo cafeteria on the day of his trial.

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AWARE: Still on a victorious high

May 10, 2009

AWARE SAGA

Still on a victorious high

Members talk about EGM, its sex education programme and plans for future over dinner

By Debbie Yong
		Presenting Aware's new exco: (Back row from left) Margaret Thomas (black T-shirt), Nancy Griffiths and Tan Joo Hymn (in orange). (Middle row from left) Chew I-jin (sleeveless top), Yap Ching Wi (beige shirt), Hafizah Osman, Martha Lee and Joanna D'Cruz. (Front, centre) Aware's new president Dana Lum. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

ONE week after the Association of Women for Action & Research's (Aware) extraordinary general meeting on May 2, the newly elected committee members are still on a victorious high.

Of the 2,175 people who voted at the EGM, 1,414 gave a vote of no-confidence to Ms Josie Lau's team, which took office at the March 28 annual general meeting. After she announced her team's resignation at the EGM, elections were called and, by a show of hands, a new committee voted in.

Poised and calm 'They did well. They all sat there for seven hours taking in all the criticism. Josie, especially, was very poised throughout. She had a little of a smile on whenever she was listening to someone speak. She opened the meeting as president and she returned to close it. And she read out the results clearly and calmly.' MS DANA LAM, president ... more 'Upstanding' spinoffs from Aware saga 'SHUTUP and sit down!' - a phrase uttered during an outburst at Aware's recent extraordinary general meeting - has crossed over into advertising campaigns for Subaru cars and the Botak Jones chain of food outlets. Subaru's print advertisement reads: 'Once you are aware, you can't shut up and sit down.' Its radio advertisement has a customer scolding a car dealer for 'not being inclusive'. The latter responds by saying: 'Shut up and sit down.' ... more

After the EGM, the new exco - president Dana Lam, vice-president Chew I-Jin, honorary secretary Yap Ching Wi, assistant honorary secretary Corinna Lim, honorary treasurer Tan Joo Hymn, assistant honorary treasurer Lim Seow Yuin and committee members Hafizah Osman, Joanna D'Cruz, Martha Lee, Margaret Thomas, Nancy Griffiths and Nicole Tan - headed to the New York, New York restaurant in Suntec City to celebrate.

When The Sunday Times asked to catch up with them last week, Ms Lam extended a dinner invitation at Aware's premises at Dover Crescent last Friday. Nine of the 12 exco members were present and each was passionate in giving answers during the three-hour-long meeting.

Since the EGM, the group has met formally only once, and the five-hour meeting ran till 1am. But they see each other at the centre almost every day, said Ms Thomas. They addressed some of the issues and criticisms raised after the EGM.

Were the old guard supporters unruly at the EGM?

They disagreed and felt that their supporters were articulate, rational and spoke passionately.

'Isn't this what active citizenry is about?' said Ms Yap.

Ms Griffiths said the way the meeting was held played a part in rousing the crowd. The microphones for members of the floor were not working. Ms Lau made several appeals for security to step in.

At one point, then-exco member Sally Ang told the crowd to 'shut up and sit down'.

Ms Thomas said: 'With the microphones not working, people had to shout to get their point across and when your supporters hear you shouting, they get affected.' She added that members of the old guard made repeated attempts to calm the crowd.

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PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG ON THE RE-ARREST OF MAS SELAMAT KASTARI

PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG ON THE RE-ARREST OF MAS SELAMAT KASTARI

I had a four-eye lunch with Datuk Seri Najib in Pattaya on 11 April. It was an impromptu arrangement which we made after the ASEAN meeting was called off because of the Red Shirt demonstrations. Datuk Seri Najib told me that the Malaysians had arrested Mas Selamat Kastari. I responded that I had been informed about this, and thanked him for Malaysia’s generous support and help. I said that the terrorism problem affects both of us. The JI group remains active in the region, and we must work together to counter them as well as other such groups. I especially appreciated the close cooperation and trust between ISD and its Malaysian counterpart, the Special Branch.

DPM Wong Kan Seng had earlier told me about Mas Selamat’s rearrest by the Malaysians. I knew that ISD had been working hard on the case, and had found some leads which they had given to the Malaysian authorities. But we could not say anything publicly or else it would jeopardise the operation. I was happy and relieved that Mas Selamat had been found and arrested before he had done any harm. Kan Seng told me that the Malaysians had asked us to keep this quiet for the time being. I replied that we had to respect this, even though I knew that Singaporeans would be very anxious to know the news. So we held the information very tightly.

On Thursday afternoon when all the Ministers were having our weekly Pre-Cabinet lunch, Kan Seng received a phone call informing him that The Straits Times had asked ISD to confirm their scoop which the ST said it came from the KL correspondent, that Mas Selamat has been arrested by the Malaysians. As the story had leaked, we had no choice but to confirm it. It was only then that Kan Seng told the Ministers that Mas Selamat had been arrested, the news had leaked, and we would be confirming the story. They were taken completely by surprise.

I thank all the officers who have been involved in hunting for and tracking down Mas Selamat over this last year. I never had any doubt that we would eventually find Mas Selamat, because I knew the quality and commitment of the officers working on this. ISD had recovered quickly from the mistakes which led to Mas Selamat’s escape, put things right, and set themselves to finding and arresting him back. But nevertheless it is good that we have now got him. Our security agencies work quietly and anonymously, keeping Singapore safe. The public only hears about their work occasionally, for example when things go wrong. But we owe them more than most Singaporeans realise.

We must not think that Mas Selamat’s arrest is the end of our problem. The terrorism situation in Southeast Asia is under control, but the threat is far from over. Once in a while there is an attack somewhere, so far fortunately not in Singapore. But for every attack reported in the newspapers there are many more plots which the security agencies uncover, track and hopefully disrupt. These never make it into the public consciousness, but we know about them from intelligence reports. Our challenge is to keep up our guard without getting fatigued or complacent. The price of security is eternal vigilance.

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Why secrecy over Mas Selamat's arrest: PM Lee

May 10, 2009

Why secrecy over Mas Selamat's arrest: PM Lee

Even Cabinet not told as Malaysia had asked for the matter to be kept quiet, he explains

By Goh Chin Lian
		Mr Lee stressed that his arrest does not mark the end of Singapore's fight against terror. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

The arrest of Mas Selamat Kastari was such a closely guarded secret even Singapore's Cabinet ministers were not told about it until last Thursday, when The Straits Times called the Government to confirm the story, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

It was only then that Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told the other ministers about it.

'They were completely taken by surprise,' Mr Lee said in his first comments on the capture of the terrorist leader.

He also explained why he and Mr Wong had remained tight- lipped until that point.

The Malaysians informed Singapore shortly after the arrest took place but requested that the matter be kept quiet for the time being.

Mr Wong conveyed the news to the Prime Minister.

Mr Lee said he knew that Singaporeans, who had rallied round the Government in its massive manhunt after Mas Selamat's escape in February last year, would be very anxious for the news.

But Malaysia's request had to be respected.

The Malaysian Special Branch nabbed Mas Selamat in Johor on April 1 following a lead from Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD). He remains in its custody for interrogation.

The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez learnt about the arrest and, last Thursday, the paper asked the ISD to confirm its scoop. 'As the story had leaked, we had no choice but to confirm it,' Mr Lee said.

In his one-page statement, he praised the work of the Malaysian Special Branch and Singapore's ISD. He said he had personally conveyed Singapore's thanks for Malaysia's generous support and help when he met Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Pattaya on April 11.

Observing that the Jemaah Islamiah terror group remained active in the region, Mr Lee said Singapore and Malaysia must work together to counter it and other such groups.

He expressed special appreciation for the close cooperation and trust between the ISD and the Special Branch.

He also thanked all the Singapore officers who had been involved in the year-long manhunt for Mas Selamat.

He paid tribute to the dedicated service of officers in the ISD, a department that had come under fire for the security lapses that enabled Mas Selamat to escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre.

'I never had any doubt that we would eventually find Mas Selamat, because I knew the quality and commitment of the officers working on this,' he said.

He also stressed that the ISD had moved quickly to set things right.

'ISD had recovered quickly from the mistakes which led to Mas Selamat's escape, put things right and set themselves to finding and arresting him back.

'Our security agencies work quietly and anonymously, keeping Singapore safe. The public only hears about their work occasionally, for example, when things go wrong. But we owe them more than most Singaporeans realise.'

The Malaysian authorities revealed last Friday that Mas Selamat had been planning attacks on Singapore when he was captured.

Mr Lee stressed that his arrest does not mark the end of Singapore's fight against terror.

While the terrorism situation in South-east Asia was under control, the threat was far from over.

There were many planned attacks that were detected and disrupted by security agencies and went unreported.

'Our challenge is to keep up our guard without getting fatigued or complacent. The price of security is eternal vigilance,' he said.

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Mas Selamat: Help from 2 Johor friends

May 10, 2009

Help from 2 Johor friends

They sheltered Mas Selamat for a year but others shunned him

By Hazlin Hassan, Malaysia Correspondent
		The Star newspaper published a picture of Mas Selamat said to have been taken hours after his arrest, showing him with a thicker moustache and beard. -- PHOTO: THE STAR

Kuala Lumpur - A desperate Mas Selamat Kastari could find only two friends willing to help him hide after he escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre last year and swam the 1km across to a Johor beach.

Abdul Matin Anol Rahmat and Johar Hassan came to the Singaporean terrorist's aid, police sources said. All others shunned him.

The two men gave him shelter for free for more than a year in a secluded kampung house in Skudai. For that, they were arrested on April 1, the same day police nabbed Mas Selamat while he was sound asleep.

Clad only in his shorts and T-shirt, the leader of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network in Singapore barely put up a fight during the dawn raid.

Mas Selamat is now believed to be in police custody in Johor.

'He has not been transported anywhere yet,' a source familiar with the operation told The Sunday Times.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and national police chief Musa Hassan have refused to reveal where he is being held.

It is unclear how Mas Selamat contacted his two friends after he reportedly swam across the Johor Strait using an 'improvised flotation device'.

The official Bernama news agency said that Abdul Matin lived in Ulu Tiram and Johar lived in a village in Skudai.

The Sunday Times understands that Mas Selamat's two friends, who are said to be ordinary JI members, had helped hide him.

'He has no relatives in Johor but many friends,' the source told The Sunday Times. 'He probably went to Johor because he thought a few of them were still there and would help him. But most were not willing to help him as they knew that the authorities were searching for him.'

Only those two had helped him, and they have known Mas Selamat for some 10 years through JI. It remains unclear if the two were just helping him or if all three were plotting a fresh terror attack.

Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday told reporters that Mas Selamat had been planning attacks on Singapore. He did not elaborate.

Some experts say Mas Selamat's success at remaining in hiding for more than a year shows that the JI network remains in Johor. But the source said that all JI members in Johor have 'either been neutralised or caught already'.

There are no new cells in Johor or anywhere else in Malaysia, he said, adding that Mas Selamat was therefore unlikely to have been able to seek support and conduct research to organise new terror attacks.

'JI is not a threat in Malaysia or Singapore,' he said.

But the JI remains a threat in Indonesia, the Philippines and southern Thailand, where the authorities can close one cell and have a new one crop up immediately, he added.

A source told Bernama: 'During the time he was hiding in Johor, Mas Selamat only made contact with the two men. This goes to show he has neither support nor the sympathy.'

The Malaysian government has declined to reveal details of how he was arrested, but reports say that the 48-year-old man had swum more than 1km to Stulang, Johor, a stretch of beach near Singapore's Senoko power station.

Mas Selamat, who is trained in firearms and explosives and is described as 'highly dangerous', had allegedly lived as a simple villager in the state.

The Star newspaper published a photograph which it said was taken just hours after his arrest. It shows that he had grown a thick beard and thicker moustache, but otherwise looked similar to photographs of him that had been distributed everywhere in Singapore when he escaped last year.

The Chinese-language daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that Mas Selamat had allegedly been seen selling burgers at a cart in Johor Baru at night until 4am.

The report said there was speculation that besides being a means to earn income, it served as camouflage to help keep him in touch with contacts and to assess the situation on the ground.

It also reported that when Mas Selamat was nabbed, another man and a woman who were in the same house in Skudai were also arrested. It is unclear what their relationship to Mas Selamat is. The authorities here have not announced the arrest of a woman in connection with his case.

Skudai is a sprawling working- class town, 25km north-west of Johor Baru and near Senai Airport, that many Singaporeans frequent for its Giant hypermarket.

About 15km away, across the North-South Highway, is Ulu Tiram, another small town but one that is notorious as a breeding ground for JI terrorists.

A now-defunct religious school which groomed JI agents is located in the area, a place familiar to Mas Selamat. As the leader of the Singapore branch of the JI, he spent some time there in the 1990s.

Bernama said that while in Johor, Mas Selamat had planned to flee either to the southern Philippines or to Indonesia but did not go ahead with it, thinking that he was safe in Johor.

As it turned out, he made the wrong decision.

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