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.
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.
