Mas Selamat Kastari arrested in Malaysia--over A MONTH ago?!

Mas Selamat Kastari, the elusive Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader fugitive has finally been arrested in Malaysia?! That's the latest breaking news, indeed. However it is also said that Mas Selamat Kastari was nabbed over a month ago--but why the delay of announcing it? We've been living with fear unnecessarily for the last month (no thanks to the swine flu aka Influenza A(H1N1) virus fear, either).

This is a good news that many have been waiting! Well done & thank you, Malaysia! Oh wait, Singapore too played a part: the capture was reported courtesy of "a joint intelligence operation involving the internal security agencies of the two countries".

By the way, I like the part about how he had "remained elusive although dozens of illegal immigrants were flushed out". Oh yes, that really gives a right image of the high standard of elusiveness that Mas Selamat had maintained. Even higher than those of illegal immigrants. Impressive? So after his recapture, Singapore would do BETTER not to let him escape again. I guess there should not be any more toilet breaks for him, huh?

Mas Selamat Kastari, Singapore's Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader who escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre on February 27 last year, has been arrested.

The terrorist, who once plotted to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi Airport, was arrested in Malaysia in a joint intelligence operation involving the internal security agencies of the two countries.

It is understood that Mas Selamat was actually arrested over a month ago but had been under interrogation in Malaysia.

It is believed that the fugitive will soon be brought back to Singapore.

Last December, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said: "He is one up on us, but the game is not over. One day we will catch him."

Most security experts had expected the fugitive to head for Indonesia, where other JI members are believed to be based. So, it came as a surprise to some that he was arrested in Malaysia.

Mas Selamat gave his guards the slip while he was being taken to the toilet at the detention centre.

The escape sparked the largest manhunt in Singapore's history. Thousands of police and military personnel were roped in to comb the island for the fugitive. Checks at the borders were stepped up, road blocks were set up, officers went house to house, and forested areas were swept.

There were also offers of a million dollar reward by two businessmen for his capture.

Mas Selamat, however, remained elusive although dozens of illegal immigrants were flushed out. Posters bearing his face and description were put up everywhere and every mobile phone here was sent either a text description or a picture of him.

Mas Selamat's escape also resulted in the dismissal of the detention centre's superintendent over security lapses. The superintendent's deputy was demoted.

The two were the most senior officers in charge of the ground management of the detention centre, and were among six Internal Security Department (ISD) officers charged over the escape.

Mas Selamat fled Singapore in December 2001 following an Internal Security Department operation against the terrorist organisation.

The militant leader had been on the run after Singapore authorities discovered plans to crash seven trucks filled with bombs at various locations around the island.

Investigations also revealed that he was the mastermind behind a plan to hijack an airplane and crash it into Changi airport.

Mas Selamat was arrested by the Indonesian police on Bintan island in January 2006. He was detained for using a fake identity card.

When he was arrested, officers found literature on bomb-making on him. Based on investigations then, Indonesia's elite anti-terror police then discovered he was the leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah network.

They then deported him to Singapore, where he was detained at Whitley Road Detention Centre under the Internal Security Act.

The 48-year-old father of four was said to be involved in JI's plans to mount attacks against foreign and local establishments in Singapore.

These included the US Embassy and American Club, the Defence Ministry headquarters at Bukit Gombak and the Education Ministry building at North Buona Vista Drive.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Singapore's JI leader Mas Selamat arrested in Malaysia".

Thirteen months after his audacious escape from detention in Singapore, Mas Selamat Kastari has been caught in Malaysia.

Singapore's most wanted terrorist was captured on April 1 while hiding in Johor, regional intelligence sources told The Straits Times.

It is believed that he was nabbed in the outskirts of Johor Baru and is now being held by the Malaysian authorities for interrogation.

It is not known how he slipped out of Singapore or when he entered Malaysia.

Although he was arrested six weeks ago, the Malaysian authorities have not yet announced the capture.

A senior Malaysian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest and said that Mas Selamat was being held under the country's Internal Security Act.

He declined to say when the terrorist would be handed over to the Singapore authorities.

It is believed that the fugitive had stayed in Johor all this time and had not travelled further north. He is also believed to be detained in Johor.

Sources told The Straits Times that the 48-year-old was tracked down based on intelligence provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD), and a joint operation by Malaysia and Singapore's security agencies eventually led to his arrest.

The capture of Mas Selamat brings to an end one of the largest manhunts ever undertaken by Singapore and its neighbours for a terrorist on the run.

From Straits Times, "Mas Selamat captured".

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Update: it's said that Mas Selamat Kastari swam across Johor Straits using an 'improvised flotation device'. Man, he must indeed be very resourceful! Afterall, he did escape by himself (it's reported that no local JI involved in his escape--or at least, the authorities do not know yet.)

Wanted terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari swam across the Straits of Johor using an 'improvised flotation device' in his dash to freedom 'soon after' his escape from the Whitley Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year.

These details were disclosed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kang Seng at a press conference on Friday.

Mr Wong said that, as far as the authorities know, no local Jemaah Islamiah network was involved in aiding Mas Selamat's dash from Whitley Centre, where he was being held under the Internal Security Act.

Mas Selamat, 48, leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network was arrested in the outskirts of Johor Baru on April 1 by Malaysian authorities after a tip-off from the Singapore side late last year.

The Singapore government was informed of the arrest 'soon after' the fugitive was caught, said Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister.

No date has been fixed to return Mas Selamat to Singapore. 'The Malaysian authorities want to interview him and we will let them do their job and when they feel it's time to send him back to us, we will be happy to receive him back,' Mr Wong said.

He added that the arrest is the result of the strong co-operation between security agencies on both sides. Intelligence leads provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department late last year played a key role leading to the capture.

Mr Wong urged Singaporeans to stay vigilant and they should not think that the threat of terrorism has receded with the arrest of Mas Selamat.

'I have said it for years, that the threat of terrorism is real and that we are a prime target and therefore there's no question about letting our guard down,' he said. 'We must continue to be vigilant and continue to implement the security measures we have put in place.

'So we must not assume that just by the arrest of one person, Singapore will be safe from terrorist threat now. Apart from Mas Selamat, there are other JI members who are still out there and we haven't got them.

'And there could be many others that we do not know. And we don't know where they are, who they are and when they will come into Singapore.'

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein on Friday confirmed that Mas Selamat has been captured and is being held under its Internal Security Act for interrogation.

'He was planning something that allowed us to arrest him,' said Mr Hishamuddin, declining to give more details on his arrest and whereabouts.

From Straits Times, "Swam across Johor straits".

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Update: This Malaysian Insider website claimed that Indonesian intelligence agency was also playing a part in the capture of Mas Selamat Kastari!

The prime minister will have discussions first with the police before deciding on whether captured Singaporean terror suspect Mas Selamat Kastari should be extradited to the republic.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today the Singapore government had expressed happiness with the arrest of Mas Selamat, who made an audacious escape from detention in Singapore 13 months ago.

It is believed that he was nabbed on the outskirts of Johor Baru and is now being held by the Malaysian authorities for interrogation.

Although he was arrested six weeks ago, the Malaysian authorities did not announce the capture.

However, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein today confirmed that Mas Selamat Kastari was caught in Malaysia.

“Yes, I can confirm that he is under our detention and is being investigated right now. But I can’t go into details because this is a sensitive issue which involves three parties, namely Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

“It also involves intelligence agencies of the three governments and it is something that I do not want to jeopardise,” he told a news conference in Putrajaya, the country's administrative capital today.

Speaking to reporters this evening, Najib congratulated Malaysian police for the arrest.

“I would like to congratulate the police for succeeding in capturing him as he did pose a threat to Malaysia. However, Mas Selamat’s main focus was in Singapore.

“We know he was planning a few things against Singapore and this was communicated to the Singapore PM whom I met recently in Thailand.”

It is believed that the fugitive had stayed in Johor all this time and had not travelled further north. He is also believed to be detained in Johor.

Singapore’s The Straits Times reported that the 48-year-old was tracked down based on intelligence provided by Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD), and a joint operation by Malaysia and Singapore’s security agencies eventually led to his arrest.

The capture of Mas Selamat brings to an end one of the largest manhunts ever undertaken by Singapore and its neighbours for a terrorist on the run.

From Malaysian Insider, "Malaysia to decide later on Mas Selamat extradition".

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Update: Also revealed was the plan of Mas Selamat Kastari to relocate to Indonesia as he was rebuilding his terror network in Malaysia. Also it is believed that he managed to escape with the help of JI operatives in Malaysia? I don't get this part. The escape refer to the one from the detention center or the one from Singapore (that is the swimming across Johor Straits with that improvised floating device?)

Terror experts said fugitive Mas Selamat was rebuilding his terror network in Malaysia and was planning to relocate to Indonesia.

They believe he managed to escape with the help of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operatives in Malaysia.

While Singaporeans can finally come to rest with his capture, experts said they must continue to be vigilant.

Dr Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert, said: "Mas Selamat is a terrorist with a very high degree of experience, and a man with tremendous determination. There are very few terrorists of that competence and capability, and it demonstrates that Singapore and the region faces a continuous threat. JI is a group that's constantly growing,... constantly active and he's been able to link up with a number of JI members,"

Experts believe that fortunately, Mas Selamat was not able to execute his dangerous operations while in hiding.

"The Malaysians only invoke ISA (Internal Security Act) 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," said terrorism expert Dr Kumar Ramakrishna.

"It's very important for these agencies to find out who Mas Selamat was in contact with, whether these are people already known, whether there are new individuals who are clean skins who have never had records before but are now radicalised and forming support cells, and (whether they have) plans laid for Singapore or anywhere else in region," he added.

Dr Rohan believes the Malaysians have discovered vital information which could lead to more arrests, although getting more out of Mas Selamat won't be easy.

"In terms of breaking Mas Selamat Kastari would require a very significant period of time because he's a very hardened terrorist," said Dr Rohan.

Experts warned that the JI group still poses a profound threat, so authorities need to continue to keep a close watch on them.

Experts said governments should also work more closely with schools and religious institutions to educate the public that JI is a deviant group and that the community should come together to fight such extremism.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Mas Selamat rebuilding terror network in Malaysia, say experts".

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Update: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Mr. Wong Kan Seng admitted that the public were not informed earlier of the capture of wanted terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari because of "the need for secrecy". He added that it may also compromise operations and jeopardise the sources of information. (Asiaone, "Why public not told earlier".)

The Singapore government did not inform the public earlier of the capture of wanted terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari because of the need for secrecy, said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng on Friday.

It may also compromise operations and jeopardise the sources of information, said Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister. He said the same applied to other terrorist arrests earlier.

The leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah terror network, who has been on the run for over a year after bolting from the Whitley Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year, was nabbed in the outskirts of Johnor Baru six weeks ago on April 1 and is now being held by the Malaysian authorities for interrogation.

In further comments issued later on Friday on why the government did not announce his arrest earlier, a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs explained that 'there were larger operational and security considerations at stake.'

The ministry said 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.

'Premature disclosure would compromise on-going investigations. We do not issue press releases on arrest until after ISD has completed its investigations and operations.

'For example, sometimes, intelligence obtained from interviews of arrestees may put us on the trail of other terrorists. In such instances, premature public revelation of the first arrest would cause the other terrorists to flee, and compromise our ability to capture them.'

Many Singaporeans were surprised and elated over news of his arrest, which was splashed on the front page of The Straits Times on Friday. But many also questioned why his capture was not made public earlier. Some even quipped that the arrest might have been a belated April Fool's joke.

The Home Affairs Ministry confirmed the arrest on Friday morning, as did the Malaysian government.

Within hours after the story went up on straitstimes.com, more than 100 comments were posted by readers.

Wrote forum member merrayell: 'He is the most wanted man in Singapore, but it took the police to release his capture to the public only after one month...shouldn't they beat the gong and announce that Mas Selamat has been captured'

Asked another member, righting-things: 'The news scoop seems to be just based on foreign intelligence and confirmed by Malaysian authorities. Where's the word from our very own authorities?'

From Straits Times, "Why public not told earlier".

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Update on 09/05: Mas Selamat Kastari was said to be caught while he was sleeping?

Mas Selamat Kastari, one of the region's most wanted terrorists, was nabbed while he was asleep in a secluded kampung house in Skudai, Johor, The Star reported on Saturday.

He could barely put up a struggle in his shorts and T-shirt when he was caught during a dawn raid on April 1.

The Jemaah Islamiah leader of the Singapore chapter, who had a S$1 million bounty on his head, had been living the life of a simple villager, without arousing the suspicions of residents there,said The Star.

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

Malaysia's official news agency Bernama, quoting a Special Branch source, said Mas Selamat has relatives in Skudai.

About 15 km away from the town, across the North-South highway, is Ulu Tiram, another small town but notorious for being a breeding ground for Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terrorists.

The Star said Malaysian Special Branch officers had been working on various leads since March and, upon confirming his whereabouts, planned the dawn raid that resulted in his arrest.

Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan Musa on Friday said the arrest was made possible as police in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia had been sharing intelligence reports over the past year.

'We have been in contact with our international counterparts who were informed about the arrest as well as what we have gathered from Mas Selamat since his arrest last month. Our officers are still investigating his activities and networking,' he said at a press conference.

Mas Selamat has been on the run since he escaped a maximum security detention centre in Whitley Road on Feb 27 last year, by climbing out through a toilet window, and eluded a massive manhunt launched by Singapore authorities. He fled to the northern part of Singapore before swimming across to Johor.

From Straits Times, "Caught while sleeping".

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Update on 12/05: But it is also said that Mas Selamat had tried to flee during the capture by Malaysian police?? So was he asleep or was he attempting the escape? Or was he asleep and awoken by the police who shouted at him to surrender, he then tried to flee? Hmm....that's a possibility.

Malaysian police had closed in on him and were shouting to him to surrender, but Mas Selamat Kastari refused to give up.

He clambered up to the second floor of the kampung house he was hiding in and tried to flee.

Police then kicked down the doors and brought him out with his hands cuffed behind his back and his head covered in a dark-blue checked sarong.

He was bundled into a police vehicle and taken away from the secluded Kampung Tawakal near Skudai, Johor, in the early morning of April 1.

And there ended his 13 months of life on the run.

Next-door neighbour Jamian Simin recounted the drama of that day to The Straits Times yesterday.

The 70-year-old retiree was having coffee when he heard the sounds of people running. He looked out of his window to find the capture of Singapore's most-wanted terrorist taking place before his very eyes.

Before that, he had no clue about Mas Selamat's true identity. No one in the village of 100 people had heard of him either, it would appear, except for his landlord and wife.

Mas Selamat escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year, sparking off one of the largest manhunts in the region.

News of his capture was made public last week. He is believed to have swum to Johor using an improvised flotation device.

From Straits Times, "Mas Selamat tried to flee".

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Update on 13/05: Mas Selamat hid in Singapore for 4 days before he swam to Malaysia? I find it hard to believe.

Wanted terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari had holed up in several places in Singapore for as many as four days after he slipped out of the Whitely Road detention centre on Feb 27 last year, according to a Bernama report.

Despite a massive island-wide manhunt in Singapore, he managed to get to Woodlands on the fourth day and swam across the Tebrau Strait towards Stulang Laut under the cover of darkness with buoy lights as a guide.

'He used the buoy lights, which mark the border at the Tebrau Strait, as his guide to reach the place where he thought he could find a refuge,' a source who is familiar with the operation to nab the fugitive told Bernama on Tuesday.

Mas Selamat's ability to evade arrest despite the massive manhunt, with thousands of security personnel combing the island and coastal areas, was still a mystery until today, the source said.

After more than a year on the run, the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah terror leader was captured by Malaysian Special Branch in a dawn raid on a kampung house in Skudai, Johor Baru, on April 1. He is being held under in an undisclosed location in Malaysia for interrogation.

His escape from the prison embarrassed Singapore, which, apart from launching an islandwide manhunt, also tightened security in all entry points but found no trace of Mas Selamat even as days, weeks and months went by.

The source said that despite every possibility of bumping into security forces deployed to track him down, Mas Selamat managed to reach Woodlands - a journey that would have taken him across densely populated areas.

The security in Woodlands is no less tight because it is the main checkpoints for the hundreds of thousands commuters going to and coming from the Johor Causeway. He said the Singapore authorities had also tightened security in Tebrau Strait in anticipation of Mas Selamat making a dash across the narrow waterway.

The Singapore coast guard, he said, stationed boats in every one kilometre along the sea border, a proof of how tight the security had been. But no amount of tight security managed to stop the elusive Mas Selamat from fleeing the island. To reach Stulang Laut, Mas Selamat would have swam in between the patrolling boats.

On reaching Stulang Laut, Mas Selamat met his trusted friends Abdul Matin in Ulu Tiram and Johar Hassan who lived in a village in Skudai, Johor Baharu.

From Straits Times, "Holed up in S'pore 4 days".

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Update on 01/06: Confusing! It's now claimed that Malaysia officials were aware that Mas Selamat had fled to Malaysia from 'the moment he came (there)' because of 'a very good (police intelligence agency) in Malaysia'. No Singapore's role was mentioned in the article. Hmm...

Malaysia allowed a Singaporean Islamic terror suspect to remain free for months so that he might lead authorities to other militants, an official said on Monday.

Mas Selamat Kastari was captured in Malaysia's southern state of Johor on April 1, more than a year after he escaped from a high-security prison in neighbouring Singapore in February 2008 by wriggling out a bathroom window.

Officials were aware that Mas Selamat had fled to Malaysia from 'the moment he came to our country', Malaysian Home Ministry Secretary General Mahmood Adam said in an interview with The Associated Press.

'We have a very good (police intelligence agency) here,' Mr Mahmood said. He did not say when exactly Mas Selamat came to Johor or whether Malaysia told Singapore about his whereabouts.

Mas Selamat, the alleged Singapore commander of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, evaded a massive manhunt in the city-state and slipped into Malaysia by swimming across a narrow strip of sea that separates the two countries.

Police monitored Mas Selamat's movements instead of arresting him immediately because 'the most important (thing) sometimes is not the particular target, the most important (thing) sometimes is the networking', Mr Mahmood said.

Mas Selamat alone is not as valuable as who is behind him, Mr Mahmood said.

Mas Selamat lived in a Malaysian village of about 100 people, rarely going out or mixing with other residents, before being captured by Malaysian commandos.

Mr Mahmood declined to say whether authorities are on the verge of making further arrests, but stressed that Malaysia remained 'very safe and secure'.

Malaysia's government last week announced it would hold Mas Selamat for two years under a security law that allows for detention without trial. Prime Minister Najib Razak said officials want to obtain more information from Mas Selamat, calling him a 'threat to national security'.

From Straits Times, "Let to roam free for months".



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