 Print Article
|
Announcing this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said the two men had approached the Home Affairs Ministry to manage the bounty offer to avoid any risk to their family or business.
'They wish to remain anonymous as they are concerned over the prospect of themselves, their families or business interests in the region becoming a target for retaliation,' he said, when replying to a question from Non-constituency MP Sylvia Lim.
Both businessmen are married and have investments abroad.
'I have thought about it before but I decided to do something now because after five months, it is clear that the authorities are not making much headway,' said one of the businessmen in a statement.
Mas Selamat escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27.
Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister, reiterated that the Government's position on offering rewards had not changed.
The Police Force does not offer cash for information on fugitives, unsolved crimes or help from the public. But it does not object to private companies or individuals making the offer for Mas Selamat's whereabouts, he said.
'We are encouraged by such continued public support,' he added.
To Ms Lim's question as to whether Mas Selamat could be in Indonesia, Mr Wong said while there was no intelligence indicating so, the possibility could not be dismissed.
He also said all possible scenarios were being explored.
'Although there is no intelligence at present to substantiate it, as more time passes, the scenario of Mas Selamat being harboured by sympathisers inside or outside Singapore must logically be treated as increasingly plausible,' he added.
Security expert Rohan Gunaratna said it was important to publicise the bounty widely here and in the region.
Doing so would 'both prompt and tempt a person knowledgeable of Mas Selamat's whereabouts to share that information', said the associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
'The reward will make Mas Selamat himself suspicious of those supporting him or who he would likely have recruited,' he added.
Bounties for terrorists are not uncommon elsewhere.
For instance, there is a reward of up to US$25 million ($34 million) for Osama bin Laden and US$5 million for JI bombmaker Zulkifli Hir, according to the website of the US State Department's Rewards for Justice programme.
The American public is encouraged to donate to the programme. All responses are kept strictly confidential. Even when a reward has been given, this is often not disclosed.
Dr Gunaratna noted that it was a US$25 million bounty that led to the capture of the Sept 11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in Pakistan in 2003.
Last year, four Filipinos were paid US$10 million after Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Sulaiman, both Abu Sayyaf leaders, were discovered and killed.
People with information on Mas Selamat may call the Counter Terrorism Centre hotline at 1800-262 6473 or the Police at 999.
YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT
Compensation for organ donors - idea under study
More reports: Singapore
