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Public not told of detainee's escape earlier to avoid causing panic: Police

Police Special Operations Command and Dog Unit personnel at Peirce Reservoir at Old Thomson Rd. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

POLICE on Sunday said the public were alerted to terrorist leader Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from Whitley Road Detention Centre only four hours later because they did not want to cause 'public panic'.

Their first priority was to secure the checkpoints and the possible areas that the Singapore leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network might have fled to, Police Assistant Commissioner Wong Hong Kuan told the media at the Special Operations Command at Queensway Base.

While the border controls were being set up, the next focus was on moving resources to the scene of the escape to cordon off the area and carry out a systematic search, which is still on-going.

'Our focus in the first few hours is to ensure that all these were done,' said AC Wong.
'It was a decision taken that we need to be sure of the parameters and what is actually happening before we give out information to the public.'

"If we just give out information that he is out there, it may cause public panic.
'The issue is more about what sort of credible infomation you can give to the public so they can help police in our search effort in a very short span of time.'

Police said Mas Selamat, detained under the Interal Security Act since 2006, broke out of the detention centre at 4.05 pm last Wednesday. The media received a brief statement on his escape at past 8 pm.

About an hour after the daring escape, the manager of a petrol kiosk on Whitley Road said he saw a man resembling Mas Selamat limping up a flight of steps on a hill slope near Malcom Park, leading to the Bukit Brown Chinese cemetery.
This lead prompted the police and security forces to set up a huge cordon around the area and an intensive search. The fruitless hunt was called off after two days and moved to other areas.
'At that point, we had credible info that he was in the Malcom Road area and the priority then was to conduct the search,' said AC Wong.

'As the search was going on, the press release was being prepared to inform the public what else they should look out for and how they can assist police in the search.'
He acknowledged that the 'window of opportunity was not huge by any measure' as there was a 'very short time lag' for the police to swing into action after the detainee bolted.

AC Wong said if a fugitive is determined not to be caught, he could go into hiding for weeks.
There will be no let up in the search for the escaped detainee, he said.

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Ytd reported JI could be hidden at Bukit Batok area..... AND DAT IS MY AREA!!!
haha.. but fear not, coz I'm everyday at home, 12pm to 12am!!
I will not call Police if I saw him, unless there is reward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!