THE senior civil servant under whose watch Mas Selamat Kastari escaped has spoken for the first time on his experience.
Mr Pang Kin Keong, who was director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 2008 when the terrorist leader made his prison break, called the saga the lowest point in his 20-year public service career.
"To have an incident of this national security magnitude happen under your leadership... that is an awful feeling," he said in an interview with Challenge, the Singapore Public Service's magazine, posted online on Wednesday.
Mr Pang, 47, now permanent secretary for transport, recalled the pressure he felt from the public criticism, and said he wanted to go under the covers of his bed whenever he read the newspapers or his e-mail.
He had also been worried he would be posted out of ISD before his team could recapture Mas Selamat.
"I wanted at least to be able to say, yes, the mistake happened under me, but I rectified it under my watch as well," he said.
Mas Selamat was recaptured in 2009, a year before Mr Pang left ISD to become permanent secretary for the Law Ministry.
He said what kept him going during the hunt for the fugitive was the "incredible teamwork" and loyalty of his staff.
Even the ISD's support division, including IT staff, volunteered to help in the islandwide search by pairing up with experienced operations officers, he recalled.
"That is the best example of teamwork," he said. "Thinking back about it always brings a lump to my throat."
Mas Selamat, the leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network, fled the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27, 2008, by climbing through a toilet window. He remained at large until his recapture in Johor in 2009.
Nine officers were punished for the lapse, though there were calls for the buck to stop even higher at Mr Pang.
But Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng declared their full confidence in him.
The experience taught Mr Pang to stand by good staff who make honest mistakes.
"You can't expect your officers to be loyal to you unless you are loyal to them," he said.
"When they have that confidence in you, they will go to the ends of the world for you."
Mr Pang Kin Keong, who was director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 2008 when the terrorist leader made his prison break, called the saga the lowest point in his 20-year public service career.
"To have an incident of this national security magnitude happen under your leadership... that is an awful feeling," he said in an interview with Challenge, the Singapore Public Service's magazine, posted online on Wednesday.
Mr Pang, 47, now permanent secretary for transport, recalled the pressure he felt from the public criticism, and said he wanted to go under the covers of his bed whenever he read the newspapers or his e-mail.
He had also been worried he would be posted out of ISD before his team could recapture Mas Selamat.
"I wanted at least to be able to say, yes, the mistake happened under me, but I rectified it under my watch as well," he said.
Mas Selamat was recaptured in 2009, a year before Mr Pang left ISD to become permanent secretary for the Law Ministry.
He said what kept him going during the hunt for the fugitive was the "incredible teamwork" and loyalty of his staff.
Even the ISD's support division, including IT staff, volunteered to help in the islandwide search by pairing up with experienced operations officers, he recalled.
"That is the best example of teamwork," he said. "Thinking back about it always brings a lump to my throat."
Mas Selamat, the leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network, fled the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27, 2008, by climbing through a toilet window. He remained at large until his recapture in Johor in 2009.
Nine officers were punished for the lapse, though there were calls for the buck to stop even higher at Mr Pang.
But Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng declared their full confidence in him.
The experience taught Mr Pang to stand by good staff who make honest mistakes.
"You can't expect your officers to be loyal to you unless you are loyal to them," he said.
"When they have that confidence in you, they will go to the ends of the world for you."
