MAS SELAMAT KASTARI

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MAS SELAMAT KASTARI:

(Information on whereabouts): 10.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government has received and verified any information that

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Mas Selamat Kastari is now in Indonesia; and (b) what is his assessment of such an outcome on the reputation of Singapore.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Mr Speaker, Sir, our security agencies have been working and will continue to work very closely with their foreign intelligence and security counterparts. These include Indonesian counterparts with whom ISD have had several successes in the apprehension of Jemaah Islamiah fugitives including Mas Selamat himself in February 2003. The Indonesian authorities' recent arrest of a group of terrorists, including a Singaporean, in Palembang demonstrates the usefulness of cooperation with foreign security counterparts.

Up till now, our security agencies have not received any information from their Indonesian counterparts to confirm that Mas Selamat is presently hiding in Indonesia. Neither do we have domestic intelligence that shows that he has left the country.

Nevertheless, we obviously cannot dismiss the possibility that Mas Selamat could have managed to escape Singapore for another country. Singapore is not a fortress. As an island, our borders are porous. There can be no 100% control over all illegal exit and entry even if our enhanced security operations have kept this to a minimum. I am not aware of any country that can prevent with absolute certainty illegal entry or exit across the length of its borders over time.

We will do our utmost to find Mas Selamat whatever it takes. If Mas Selamat has escaped abroad, we will work with the relevant foreign counterparts to track him down and bring him back into custody in Singapore. We have done it before; we will do it again.

We will also continue to work on all possible scenarios. In this regard, although there is no intelligence at present

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to substantiate it, as more time passes, this scenario of Mas Selamat being harboured by sympathisers inside or outside Singapore must logically be treated as increasingly plausible.

Sir, two private individuals have approached the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and offered to put up a cash reward of $1 million for information leading to the apprehension of Mas Selamat inside or outside Singapore. They have asked MHA to operationalise their proposal because they wish to remain anonymous as they are concerned over the prospect of themselves, their families or business interests in the region becoming a target for retaliation.

Sir, this is not the first time a bounty has been offered for information on Mas Selamat. In March, a labour-supply company and a non-government organisation offered $50,000 and $5,000 respectively for information on Mas Selamat. A security firm offered $1,000 to its staff to help track him down.

As a policy, the Singapore Police Force does not offer cash reward for information on fugitives and unsolved crimes, or for assistance from the public. However, we do not object if private corporations and individuals wish to offer cash reward for information on the whereabouts of Mas Selamat.

We are encouraged by such continued public support. We remain committed to finding and capturing Mas Selamat no matter how long it takes. We have done it before and we will do it again.

Ms Sylvia Lim (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, four supplementary questions for the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM). First question is, whether there is any fresh intelligence that the Government has obtained that Mas

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Selamat is still in Singapore. Second question is, security analysts have observed that Indonesia is a logical place for Mas Selamat to escape to. In fact, as early as 1st March 2008, which is a few days after the escape, there were some analysts predicting that he already fled to Indonesia via a speedboat to Bintan. I would like the DPM's assessment on whether this is a likely scenario. Third question, about one month after the escape, the DPM had said that his Ministry would examine if there are sufficient legal powers within Singapore territorial waters to do effective searches or whether the law will need to be amended. I would like the DPM to update us on this. And last of all, Sir, the Interpol Chief had commented in the aftermath of this case that when it comes to such escapes, the first hours are crucial and it has now been five months since the escape. I would like the Minister to tell the House whether he has changed his assessment of the likelihood of recapturing Mas Selamat in Singapore.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, I have just said that we do not have any fresh intelligence to show that he is still in Singapore or he has left. We have no intelligence to show that he has already left and that there is also no intelligence from our foreign counterparts to show that he has already gone to another country. As regards the security analyst's assessment, that is his assessment and we do not have intelligence to confirm it.

On the legal powers of searches, I think Ms Lim might have read about what I said some time ago regarding the legal powers of searches for vessels at sea. Right now, the Police have powers to search whenever they need to, and we do not think we need more powers in this regard. On what the Interpol Chief had said that the first hour is crucial, that is also his opinion. I am sure he is a professional and I believe that he has his own basis to make this comment. As far

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as we are concerned, we have done what we could during the first hour and we could not find him.