马士·沙拉马近况如何？

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MAS SELAMAT?
by Teo Soh Lung

Alleged terrorist Mas Selamat, was arrested in 2006 and imprisoned without trial at the Whitley Detention Centre. He escaped in 2008, apparently by piling up toilet rolls and jumping out of the small toilet window. Causing an island wide hunt, gurkhas, army, navy and police were mobilised. Posters and handbills of Mas Selamat were pasted and distributed all over the island. The causeway security was tightened but Mas Selamat was not found.

Mas Selamat was alleged to have swam across the Straits of Johor-Singapore using rubber tyres. It is quite incredible that our coast guards were not able to detect him while he splashed across the waters.

Mas Selamat was subsequently arrested by the Malaysian police and detained at Kamunting Detention Centre. According to the New Paper report of 20 September 2009, he seemed quite happy staying at Kamunting. He claimed he was drugged and ill treated at Whitley. That was the reason why he escaped at the earliest opportunity.

Mas Selamat was returned to Singapore and re-detained at Whitley in 2010. The escape of one and only high security prisoner in Singapore did not cause the sacking of the minister in charge or the director of the internal security department.

Recently, the government announced plans to build new housing in the area where the Whitley Detention Centre is located. All prisoners at Whitley have been moved to the high security prison at the Changi Prison Complex. The silent population of Bukit Brown too have been relocated.

I believe Mas Selamat is now imprisoned in the high security prison in the Changi Prison Complex. I don’t know if he is treated as a convicted prisoner, confined to a tiny cell with CCTV cameras on him throughout the day and night. It would be good if the ministry of home affairs tell us how Mas Selamat is getting along and what kind of living condition he is now in.

According to the terrorism expert, Dr Rohan Gunaratna, prisoners under the Internal Security Act are treated better than convicted prisoners because “If you treat them badly, their resentment will grow”. (The Straits Times of 21 Sept 2009).

Eleven years have gone by since Mas Selamat was rearrested. It is a very long time. The ministry of home affairs should tell us what has happened to him and all the other prisoners detained without trial.