A case crying out for transparency and justice

Home

News

Singapore

Friday, 26 November 2010

Singapore Democrats

Three years ago when Mr Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from the Whitley Detention Centre, Singaporeans could hardly believe their ears when they were told that the suspect terrorist had walked out from the high-security facility.

A Commission of Inquiry appointed by the minister who was responsible for the escape, Mr Wong Kan Seng, told an incredulous public that Mr Mas Selamat jumped out of an open window whilst the Centre's surveillance cameras malfunctioned.

Three years later we hear of another mind-boggling revelation: The escapee had sought refuge at his family's home in Tampines two days after his breakout and had spent several hours there before leaving disguised as a woman.

Even a kindergartener will tell you that when a prison-escape alarm is sounded, the first place one would stake out is the home of the escapee's immediate family and relatives. And yet the new Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K Shanmugam, is telling us that Mr Mas Selamat had taken shelter at his brother's place without anyone noticing it? This story strains believability.

To make matters worse, we now have the suspect's family charged and convicted for harbouring a fugitive. Mr Selamat's brother Asmom, 60, was sentenced to 3 months jail, his sister-in-law Aisah 12 months, and niece Nur Aini, 28, 18 months.

This raises a legal question: Does the law clearly state that harbouring a suspected criminal is, itself, an offence? For to be sure, Mr Mas Selamat has not been convicted of any crime in a court of law. He has only been accused - and imprisoned - of intending to commit a violent crime.

He has not been told that he will be presented in court and given a hearing, and has not been told when he would be released nor is there information about his treatment under detention. If the recent revelations of former ISA detainees are anything to go by, his days in the cell will not be at all pleasant.

This brings us to the tragic situation confronting Mr Mas Selamat's family. If the Government's story is to be believed that his brother provided refuge for him, it raises some very pertinent questions:

What if Mas Selamat told his family that he was abused and tortured by the ISD?
What if he swore that he was innocent and had not participated in terrorist activities?
What if he pleaded with his brother not to turn him in because he would not be charged and given a trial?
What if it was the PAP using the spectre of terrorism to scare Singaporeans to gain political support? Not possible? Think Vincent Cheng.
What if Vincent Cheng or Teo Soh Lung or Said Zahari or Lim Hock Siew, all former ISA detainees, had escaped and hid at their families' homes? What would their families have been expected to do? Hand them back to their captors?

Remember, these Singaporeans who were detained were branded as violent communists and Marxists. Our media led the lynch mob, not bothering to even concede that they were merely suspects, but instead conducted their prosecution, conviction, and sentencing all in the pages of the newspapers and nightly news.

Today, the victims are just beginning to reveal the truth. Unclassified memos and minutes are also bringing to light how politics, not national security, motivated these arrests.

In this present case would the most honest of men and women, with hand on heart, say that they would have called the police, and handed a loved one back to a regime infamous for torture and detention without trial? Legally, are Mr Asmom, Ms Aisah, and Ms Nur Aini obliged to turn in a suspect?

This entire case cries out for transparency and justice. Even the court hearing for the three family members were conducted behind closed doors. No one knew that they had been charged and when the hearing would take place. Their convictions and sentences were announced by the Government only several days after it took place.

Yet Mr Shanmugam would only cock a snook at Singaporeans by telling us that he was “satisfied that all the necessary steps had been taken.”

It is situation that resembles something coming out of a frightening Hollywood movie made by a producer with an overactive imagination. Alas, this is no fiction. It is a real-life tragedy taking place in a country that we call home.

There is no doubt that in this sorry episode someone should be punished. But Mr Wong Kan Seng is still sitting pretty in his office, even promoted to minister for national security coordination while police officers have been disciplined and fired, and Asmom, Aisah and Nur Aini sit in prison.

May the truth be revealed when Singapore breaks out from the grip of the PAP. May justice be served then.

Share this article:

Comments (20)

Fri 26 Nov 2010 12:13 PM | | Prime Citizen

This too shall pass. I am so moved by your reports.

Fri 26 Nov 2010 12:42 PM | Seelan Palay

SDP always speaks up for those who face injustice. That is why I support them this much.

Fri 26 Nov 2010 1:05 PM | seebeng - Is there "media" in Singapore?

Why does SDP keep calling PAP's propaganda mouthpieces as the "media"? There is no such thing called media in an authoritarian regime. By sayIng there is media here, SDP is merely admitting that it too is the victim of PAP propaganda.

Fri 26 Nov 2010 3:01 PM | Tan Tai Wei

Odd that his relatives' homes weren't under tight surveillance after the escape? Too obvious to hide there, and so a trained terrorist wouldn't be so silly as to do that? So no point keeping watch there?

Even so, why did they not monitor the places anyway as a matter of routine, whilst the main thrust of the search was being put elsewhere?

As it happened, our expert "terror" had the psychological expertise to anticipate the standard, "textbook" assumptions of ISD, and wisely decided that the very places assumed to be unlikely for him to hide would be the best and safest!

And they were, in fact! Our ISD was outwitted by him who could "think out of the box", whose wit wasn't imagined and anticipated by an unimaginatve ISD trained only to follow standard guidelines?

Fri 26 Nov 2010 4:51 PM | Cheers

I suspect they just want to close this episode of Mas Selamat and move on with the election.

Fri 26 Nov 2010 8:25 PM | freedomT

I suspect that they always wanted to use Mas Selamat's case to gain extra votes in the coming election. Now after his family case has been revealed, They target Arab Islamic schools and banned P1 recruitment for 3 years. It looks like they are putting the Malays community on a tight leash and am tightening the cord. With this they will gain extra votes from non-malays. So what they lose all the Malays votes. The Malays are all over the island with each flat racial qouta. There are no more Malay majority areas. Even Geylang majority are Non-Malays. So anything happened like the LTA mishap, divert the attention to Mas Selamat and the Malays in the Arab Islamic Schools poor showing in the PSLE. Sadly with this, they got off the hook again.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 7:18 AM | Jufrie - Poor Nur Aini & her parents

My heart goes out to the family, especially Nur Aini whose bright future seems dashed. There is no evidence whatsoever that they are sympathetic to and support terrorism.

Can't the authorities tell the difference between those who go all out to participate in terrorist activities and family members who did nothing more than just follow their instinct to do what is natural?They did not go out of their way to look for and provide assistance to Mas Selamat. It was Mas Selamat who went to their flat and put them in this dilemma. Even then it was only for a few hours.

In any case if the security agencies had not slept on their job they would have arrested the fugitive before he could reach the flat and put his kin into such a mess.

As mentioned above, the family could have heard the other side of the story and feared for Mas Selamat's safety. They were fully aware that Mas Selamat is not a convicted criminal and may never be given a fair trial. What Nur Aini did was just to show her love for her uncle and not to break the law - assuming that what she did was illegal.

In view of the circumstances surrounding the incident I strongly feel that the authorities should restore the peace in the family.

IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE I AM CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO EXERCISE HIS POWERS TO PARDON AND RELEASE THEM IMMEDIATELY!

Do not destroy a law abiding family to protect those responsible for the cock-up!

What we read in the papers, especially the Berita Harian,is far from the truth. Contrary to what was said by the so called Malay leaders Malay ground strongly feel that an anjustice has been done to the family.

Even the incoming Mufti seems to have erred.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 7:59 AM | freedomT

The President won't do this. Why should he? He is not a Malay to begin with and second he is not a Muslim. Third its not his family and fourth he enjoyed out of this world salary by just following the PAP. He won't ruin his good life because of Mas Selamat's case. And the Malays leader sadly to say they have no balls to begin with. To go against the PAP is labelled as terrorist, to follow the PAP at least their jobs and family are secured. This is not Malaysia. For Malaysian have their rights to go straight to their Sultans or even to the Agong for help. In Singapore, we have nobody.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 6:26 PM | Jufrie - Out of touch with reality

Instead of seeing what happened to the family as an injustice one Malay PAP MP even asked whether the sentence meted out was too lenient. How out touch can he be with the ground sentiments.

Sometimes too comfortable a life tend to distort one's ability to think straight. Another reason may be his over eagerness to look good in the eyes of his bosses.

As far as I am concerned an injustice was done to the family. As the saying goes justice must not only be done but must also seen to be done. Why the need to hold the hearing in camera? Why must there be so much secrecy? I wonder who are the lawyers who represented them. Did they do a good job? Or just be there to go through the motion? Were they convinced of their clients' guilt? Did they mitigate for them?

(When I was brought to court during my detention I did not have a counsel to represent me. I was ordered to plead guilty. They told me,"you better plead guilty or heads will roll - and yours will be the first!)

To me, until and unless Mas Selamat is given a fair trial and proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he is guilty as charged, he is as much a "terrorist" as Vincent Cheng, Teo So Lung & company are "Marxist". He is "guilty" of being a terrorist as much as Francis Seow is "guilty" of "colluding" with the Americans, thus justifying his detention.

You will not know the truth until you are told the other side of the story. Francis Seow,Vincent Cheng, Teo Soh Lung and others like Dr Poh Soo Kai and Said Zahari have come up with theirs. And they have not been challenged.

Also,documents declassified by the British government have made quite a revelation about what really happened during the early days. Having read the documents many now know that what was told all along need not necessarily the truth.

Simply put you don't become a terrorist just because the PAP says you are one.

So Mr Maliki Osman and all members of your club, if you have any sense of justice and fairplay and fear Allah's retribution, please petition your bosses to pardon and free the family. Nur Aini and her parents do not deserve such treatment.

FREE THEM!

Sat 27 Nov 2010 6:40 AM | AnnA - PAP's Disasters

There are so many instances that are heading PAP downward. This is one best latest news that is backfiring PAP.

May God allow PAP to do more and more mistakes until election time. That's all I've wanted all this while since the day I was blamed by LKY for being a complacent citizen when MSK escaped from prison. A move that had made many of my fellow citizens became political dissenters.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 10:41 AM | maxchew - Natural family instinct/compassion

I agree with you completely Jufrie.

Unless the fugitive is a convicted murderer, terrorist or rapist, which family members won't give shelter to their blood brother/uncle? It's a natural instinct and more so for Malay family members as they are close-knit families.

All the PAP MPs etc who support the jailing of the 3 family members of Mas Selamat are talking through their noses.....I'm sure they would do the same if Mas were their brother/uncle.

Blady farken hypocrites just trying to get into the good books of their PAP bosses......at the expense of the 3 poor hapless relatives of Mas Selamat.

Vote the PAP out this coming GE!!!

Sat 27 Nov 2010 11:19 AM | Tan Tai Wei

We, of course, don't know what transpired in court, but we may wonder under what circumstances those relatives helped Mas.

Would not a notorious, well-trained "terror" fight "jihad" even against his own kin?

So, had they been under threat and held as "hostages". even if it were hidden and psychological (an understanding that "if you don't, then I'll have to...in the Name of ...), rather than brandished with parangs?

If so, then they indeed deserve a "pardon", if the court had been only legalistic (as our courts seem in many cases to be wont to) at interpreting their "aiding" a wanted person.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 4:29 PM | freedomT

Talking about the 2 Malays MPs in Sembawang GRC. They never prayed at An-Nur Mosque except for wanting to appear on TV for certain issue like what happened yesterday when the mosque are undergoing upgrading. I am a Chinese Muslims living in Woodlands but I don't see both of them doing their prayers at the mosque expect wanting to appear in the news. And yesterday only Yaakob and hawazi appear for the TV. As usual they didn't even bother to even move around to meet and greet the people. They just walked to the front rows and sit with the VIPs and their bodyguards. Dr Maliki was no where to be found. They don't know the suffering of the Muslims in Woodlands with an old mosque that is going to fall apart anytime soon, they just act aloof and post for the camera. They earned so much and yet the mosque is short of money and had to seek donations in Malaysia. It appeared in RTM 1 news a few years back that this Woodlands mosque is seeking donation in Malaysia. Such is the state of Muslims in Singapore. With useless Malays Mps that are earning millions in salary, they refused to help fellow muslims. like Jufrie had said, they will get their retribution soon for being disloyal to Islam and their fellow Muslims.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 5:13 PM | dumbo

Hat off to Nur Aini who did not betray her uncle, unlike some ww2 traitors who betrayed their countrymen to the japanese.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 10:25 PM | Robox

There came a time even before Mas Selamat's and his alleged acommplices' arrests that I had already decided that any more arrests under the ISA will not have any credulity after so much misuse of the Act in the past; I still don't believe that Mas Selamat and co. are had any terrorist intentions.

But I will if the ISA is replaced with an anti-terrorism Act and the PAP government will not be the ones to administer it.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 10:28 PM | Robox

Sorry, I only MIGHT believe that Mas Selamat and co. had terrorist intentions subject to those conditions I mentioned above, as well as a trial for them is held in open court.

Of course, the evidence must be conclusive.

Sat 27 Nov 2010 10:29 PM | freedomT

Because of the Malays, Lee kuan yew and PAP won Singapore from Malaysia UMNO. The Singapore Malays believed in equality and are loyal to where they lived. If the Malays have voted for UMNO instead of PAP, LKY and PAP would not have the chance to enter Dewan Rakyat and make demands. PAP would not be in power at all and Singapore would be still part of Johor Sultanate with a Sultan as the head of state. There would not be any PAP NS as Singapore would be protected by the royal Malaysian millitary and the Sultan personal army. But all these changeD with the Malays voted for the PAP instead. Then the PAP made demands in Malaysia parliment and LKY style himself as the PM of Malaysia instead of chief Minister. This cause the wrath of Tunku who in anger expelled out Singapore. Out goes Singapore with Chinese as the majority LKY had said but left Devan Nair to keep PAP in Malaysia as DAP while in Singapore, LKY banned Singapore UNMO from contesting in all elections. He started racial policies to prevent Malays from becoming majority in any areas as to prevent opposition from winning but told all Singaporean is for racial integration. If it is for racial integration then why SAP schools and gifted programme schools are banned for the Malays. You can see Indians and other races in HCI and Nanyang girls as do hendry park pri. But when asked by the Malays he said he needed other races to engage with China. Why with China?? The countries around Singapore are Malays not China. We should be a good neighbour instead of causing trouble for these countries.

Sun 28 Nov 2010 2:13 PM | Tan Tai Wei

FreedomT, I don't know whether you belong to SDP. If so, your way of thinking and surmising wouldn't serve the cause for freedom, nor SDP's quest for it.

For you view events with glasses of your own taint, and fit bits and pieces of seeming facts onto your agenda unanalysed, conveniently ignoring details or alternative views of them, etc.

The obvious retort to your postings is "Aren't they the very proof that with the freedom they want, it would be likewise abused, and in a somewhat dangerous mode?"

Mon 29 Nov 2010 9:31 AM | Pokerface - Sorry, but necessary.

I empathise with his family for harbouring him, but I feel the sentences were necessary. This reminds me of another case a couple of years back, where the friend of the NS man who smuggled his rifle out of camp was sentenced to 6.5 years prison and 6 strokes of the cane for not reporting his friend to the authorities. While it may seem harsh, since friends were not supposed to "betray" one another, we can only say that the NS man was a fool for bringing down his friend along with him.

Family or not, Mas Selamat, at the end of the day, is an alleged national threat to security, whose craftiness had lulled his detention centre guards into a false sense of assurance that he would not escape, then no doubt persuaded his family to harbour him, in full knowledge that an island-wide manhunt was taking place. Mas Selamat had not spared a single thought for his family when seeking escape, knowing well that he would get them into trouble if he got caught.

Mas Selamat's family were not just providing shelter for him for a night, but also trying to aid his escape. Had he been successful, who's to say that he would not return to unleash terrorism on our loved ones? In comparison to an NS man who took a rifle out of camp to a man who is plotting terrorism on the nation, the severity NS man's friend's sentence far outweighs Mas Selamat's family's sentencing. Thus in the sentencing, I believe the courts have already taken into consideration the crime due to family ties.

I think we should not be focusing on the wrong thing. Mas Selamat was responsible for bringing his family down, in an act of sheer selfishness. If he was capable of escaping from a detention centre, he should have been capable of surviving without getting his family into trouble.

Mon 29 Nov 2010 6:34 PM | Cheers

Pokerface - alledged crime. Serious defamation just because he is not able to fedend himself.

What unforgivable sin/crime he has committed?

I believe family did the right thing, you can alledge 101 things against him until proven. to the family he is innocent, they are sad that they cannot help him by legal means giving hims shelter for few hours and sending him off is the best one can do to a fellow man even if he is not family member.

Please login or register to post your comments.

Joomla components by Compojoom

Act Now


pdf link


Get a copy

Danny the Democracy Bear


Now available online here!

Singapore Democrats on Facebook

Awesome Words

“I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn't poor, I was needy. They told me it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy. I was deprived. Then they told me underprivilege was over-used. I was disadvantaged. I still don't have a dime. But I have a great vocabulary. ”

Jules Feiffer

Login

News feeds

Singapore Democrats

Act Now

Danny the Democracy Bear

Awesome Words

Login

News feeds

Most Read Articles

Latest Articles