Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Professor S Jayakumar, called Mas Selamat 'a dangerous man' and said that he is glad that the escapee had been caught.

'I know that the Internal Security Department has been working very hard to track him down since his escape. His capture underscores the excellent working relations which our law enforcement and security agencies have with Malaysia,' said Prof Jayakumar in a statement.

He also thanked the Malaysian authorities for their assistance and cooperation.

At a community event on Friday, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran also welcomed the news.

'The main thing is it is a tribute to the professionalism of the intelligence agencies, who persevered and they worked across borders with their partners to secure his eventual arrest. I think it's a very good development,' he told reporters.