|
THE escape of fugitive terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari is a 'costly and painful wake-up call', and shows that complacency has crept into the operating culture at the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC), said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng in Parliament on Monday.
While the probes by the Committee of Inquiry and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) found no malice or criminal liability on the part of any officer implicated in the Feb 27 escape, he said it would not have happened but for the security and operational lapses.
'Mas Selamat was able to exploit these weaknesses when the opportunity arose,' said the minister.
'A window that should have grills but did not; guards who should have maintained line of sight of the detainee under their escort, and who should have immediately checked why the detainee took so long in the urinal cubicle, but did not; physical security weaknesses that were not plugged - these all point to a slackening in internal vigilance and supervision.'
He added: 'Complacency for whatever reason, be it fatigue given the protracted security operations by ISD since 2001 or routinisation over time, had crept into the operating culture at WRDC.'
He said the staff there might have been lulled into complacency by the fact that no detainee had escaped from the facility before.
'Even when the guards and the Special Duty Operative became concerned over the time Mas Selamat was taking in the toilet, they did not think that he might have escaped,' he said.
On why Mas Selamat was not held in Changi Prison instead, Mr Wong said that on hindsight, it would have been a less problematic solution.
But he said that in Mas Selamat's case, the Jemaah Islamiah leader was not hostile so ISD held him at Whitley Road in hopes of gaining useful intelligence from him.
Mr Wong added: 'What has happened is a costly and painful wake-up call.'
No economic backlash
Responding to questions by MPs during question time, Mr Wong also said that EDB has not received any information that there is a loss of investor confidence as a result of Mas Selamat's escape.
Trade Minister Lim Hng Kiang also said the impact on the economy caused by the security checks at the Causeway and other areas is not known yet as the search is an ongoing operation.
Read also: DPM gives full account of Mas Selamat's escape
Confluence of 3 factors helped Mas Selamat to escape
No evidence of collusion and help given to Mas Selamat
No one will face criminal charges for Mas Selamat's escape: CID chief
10 ways to beef up security at Whitley Road detention centre
DPM was answering questions in Parliament when escape alert came
|
