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March 18, 2008
HUNT FOR ESCAPED DETAINEE
Act to ease traffic jams at Causeway
I UNDERSTAND the urgency in re-arresting fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari, but I share the views of tens of thousands of commuters - both Singaporeans and Malaysians - who had to have their thumbprints scanned on leaving Singapore over the past two days.

The traffic jams caused by this thumbprint exercise were horrendous. Lorry drivers lose precious income. They must queue for eight hours instead of the usual 30 minutes - making one trip instead of the usual four a day. Students returning from school suffer as do businesses disrupted unnecessarily.

Surely the fugitive is intelligent enough not to leave Singapore by using the Causeway.

All said, Malaysians like me are suffering and I appeal to the Singapore authorities to alleviate the hardship caused to all commuters who need to travel daily out of Singapore to earn a living.

Bear in mind that 10,000 students travel daily from Johor to attend school in Singapore and their parents pay about $1 million a month in school fees. The new school term has begun. Please consider the children's plight.

Gan Techiong
Johor Baru, Malaysia

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