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March 8, 2008 MM blames complacency for JI leader's escape If fugitive leaves the country, Singapore must brace itself for a 'return hit' By Peh Shing Huei MANAMA (BAHRAIN) - THE escape of Mas Selamat Kastari is a 'very severe lesson in complacency' and it shows that Singapore is not infallible, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew yesterday. However, if the former Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader is still in Singapore, Mr Lee believed that he would not be able to launch an attack. But if he has escaped to Indonesia, he would be able to link up with his old networks and Mr Lee warned Singapore that it must brace itself for a 'return hit sometime'. Asked by Singapore reporters here for the impact of the escape on the country's international reputation, Mr Lee replied that it was 'not very good' for its security services. 'We should have known that here is a man who has had several escapes,' he said at his wrap-up media interview here after a week-long visit to three Gulf nations. 'But obviously, he is a very wily sort of person and must have won the confidence of whoever were his custodians. 'So when he said he wanted to go to the toilet, they allowed him to go to the toilet. Whether the toilet had bars and there was no exit from the windows, that has to be explained. 'I give him full marks for having won the confidence of his custodians - that he's completely docile, completely passive and he's going to remain in captivity.' Mas Selamat, 47, who had previously planned to crash a plane into Changi Airport, escaped from Internal Security Department (ISD) custody at the Whitley Detention Centre on Feb 27. He has been on the run since, with his escape having sparked the biggest manhunt in Singapore's history. Mr Lee said that the escape showed that Singapore is not infallible. 'It shows that it is a fallacy, it is stupid to believe we are infallible. We are not infallible. One mistake and we've got a big explosive in our midst. So let's not take this lightly,' he said. He called it a 'very severe lesson of complacency' - the authorities had been confident that they had their prisoner 'sized up', but he had sized up his custodians in turn. 'But he had the custodian sized up, he had the custodian feeling comfortable that he can go to the toilet where there are no bars in the windows, and he got through. Very smart fellow. So we are dealing with a smart man.' Mr Lee said that he was 'not so worried', as long as the fugitive had not made arrangements prior to his escape and was still in Singapore. 'He can't assemble an explosive in Singapore on his own, he can't get a team in Singapore, a JI team, to mount an attack. So we just keep the pressure on, make sure he doesn't get out of Singapore,' he added. 'If he's already got out of Singapore, we won't know. Police believe he hasn't got accomplices. It was not a prepared escape. Then he's hiding somewhere, either in the jungle eating berries or whatever, or somebody is giving him refuge. 'Keep him in Singapore and he can do not much harm because he needs explosives, needs to get a plan, mount it, get people to execute the plan and that is easier done in Indonesia than in Singapore.' When Mas Selamat escaped a government dragnet in December 2001, 'he escaped into Malaysia then he went into Indonesia because Malaysia has got smaller land area and tighter controls', said Mr Lee. 'So if he can get into Indonesia, he has his old networks, then we have to watch out for a return hit sometime.' While it is good for citizens to stay vigilant, Mr Lee believed that the key is to deduce what are Mas Selamat's options. 'Is he on his own, hiding in a culvert in the jungle? How does he get food? Or has he taken refuge with a friend's friend? Not the usual friends because he would know that all his friends would be covered,' he said. 'So he would have to get his friend to give him another friend who is not under surveillance, who nobody knows about, that ISD does not know about, and gives him cover. 'So we have to find out. It's a game of tracing the possibilities. I'm not a security expert, I'm not a detective...but we do have people who understand what we ought to be following. But we ought to keep the pressure up.' http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...34.html?vgnmr=1

Though the above list is NOT exhaustive ...any suggestions is indeed of GREAT help in times like this...but make sure that the talent suggested is indeed FOREIGN as the non FT has proven to be incompetent fools!

To satisfy many forumers here who are crying foul as to the incompentence of those in-charge to have let a JI leader escaped....what would be the unspoken actions on those held responsible, which will never be made public anyway! Of course, as diasatrous as the incident had been...I would expect more than one level of heads to roll...so take your pick!

Place your bets everyone ( errr....I mean pick!! ) what will the possible outcome be for the latest news on the escaped JI leader!

For those lao-jiao here, this beautiful song will strike a deep chord in our hearts R.I.P, Dan Fogelberg.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's prime minister said Friday he will soon reduce government subsidies in the clearest sign that fuel prices will go up, a move that will likely be unpopular before general elections expected in a few months. "We have to restructure our subsidies. It is very difficult to maintain the current subsidies," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in a speech to his ruling party delegates. Abdullah refused to give a time frame for when the subsidies will be lowered, but acknowleged many Malaysians would be unhappy. "There is always some unhapiness. Not everybody will be happy but I think Malaysians are reasonable," he said. He also declined to say how the decision will effect the government's performance in elections. The biggest chunk of government subsidies is spent on keeping prices of gasoline and diesel down. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said Friday the government would have to spend 35 billion ringgit (US$10 billion;