http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,192007,00.html?
Have S'poreans forgotten about Mas Selamat?
By Andre Yeo
February 07, 2009
'NO MAS, no mas.' That's Spanish for 'no more', a phrase made infamous by Puerto Rican boxing contender Roberto Duran when he threw in the towel midway in a title bout against Sugar Ray Leonard.
No Mas, in the Singapore context, is a concern by Dr Teo Ho Pin that Singaporeans may no longer have fugitive terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari on their minds.
Mas Selamat is the man who planned to crash a plane into Changi Airport in 2001, and who sparked a nation-wide manhunt when he escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC) on 27 Feb last year.
No Mas? Yes, his posters, once peppered all over Singapore, seems to be no more.
We seem to have stopped talking about him, said Dr Teo, MP for Bukit Panjang, and Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs.
He added that despite the manhunt, and the offer of a $1million reward, his whereabouts are still unknown.
'I noticed that many Singaporeans have simply forgotten about Mas Selamat, and our community engagement of the public with regard to terrorism seems to have slackened.
'For instance, many posters of Mas Selamat were taken down from notice boards and public areas. No one seems to be paying attention to the search for Mas Selamat.
Worrying sign
'It is indeed a worrying sign as we may be facing an increased terrorism threat after his escape.'
Is he spot-on? Yes, if you go by the reaction from Singaporeans interviewed by The New Paper.
Office administrator, Mr Rajgopal, 47, said he had seen two posters at a Singapore Pools outlet in Toa Payoh Lorong 1 but noticed someone had taken them down last December.
'I think they (the police) can't find him so there is no point putting the posters up.'
Retiree, Mr Chow Kai Seng, 66, wasn't even aware the posters had been removed.
He said: 'Previously, I saw the posters here but I didn't notice that they took them down until you told me. I think it was too long ago so they took it down.
'It's important that the posters remain there butit is also very difficult to find him even if the posters are up.'
Salesman Desmond Lee, 35, felt the posters should remain: 'Since the guy is on the run, the posters should be there. This area is very crowded so it is good to remind people to be alert.'
Would the posters help?
Replying to Dr Teo in Parliament yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said there is currently no credible information on Mas Selamat's whereabouts.
But he stressed that the authorities had not slackened in their search for him.
'Whether Mas Selamat is in Singapore or he has fled our country,' said Mr Wong, 'we will hunt him down as we did before.'
Additional reporting by Tan Su Vien, newsroom intern
Have S'poreans forgotten about Mas Selamat?
By Andre Yeo
February 07, 2009
'NO MAS, no mas.' That's Spanish for 'no more', a phrase made infamous by Puerto Rican boxing contender Roberto Duran when he threw in the towel midway in a title bout against Sugar Ray Leonard.
No Mas, in the Singapore context, is a concern by Dr Teo Ho Pin that Singaporeans may no longer have fugitive terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari on their minds.
Mas Selamat is the man who planned to crash a plane into Changi Airport in 2001, and who sparked a nation-wide manhunt when he escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC) on 27 Feb last year.
No Mas? Yes, his posters, once peppered all over Singapore, seems to be no more.
We seem to have stopped talking about him, said Dr Teo, MP for Bukit Panjang, and Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs.
He added that despite the manhunt, and the offer of a $1million reward, his whereabouts are still unknown.
'I noticed that many Singaporeans have simply forgotten about Mas Selamat, and our community engagement of the public with regard to terrorism seems to have slackened.
'For instance, many posters of Mas Selamat were taken down from notice boards and public areas. No one seems to be paying attention to the search for Mas Selamat.
Worrying sign
'It is indeed a worrying sign as we may be facing an increased terrorism threat after his escape.'
Is he spot-on? Yes, if you go by the reaction from Singaporeans interviewed by The New Paper.
Office administrator, Mr Rajgopal, 47, said he had seen two posters at a Singapore Pools outlet in Toa Payoh Lorong 1 but noticed someone had taken them down last December.
'I think they (the police) can't find him so there is no point putting the posters up.'
Retiree, Mr Chow Kai Seng, 66, wasn't even aware the posters had been removed.
He said: 'Previously, I saw the posters here but I didn't notice that they took them down until you told me. I think it was too long ago so they took it down.
'It's important that the posters remain there butit is also very difficult to find him even if the posters are up.'
Salesman Desmond Lee, 35, felt the posters should remain: 'Since the guy is on the run, the posters should be there. This area is very crowded so it is good to remind people to be alert.'
Would the posters help?
Replying to Dr Teo in Parliament yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said there is currently no credible information on Mas Selamat's whereabouts.
But he stressed that the authorities had not slackened in their search for him.
'Whether Mas Selamat is in Singapore or he has fled our country,' said Mr Wong, 'we will hunt him down as we did before.'
Additional reporting by Tan Su Vien, newsroom intern
