Today's news should sum up what I'm talking about:
Singapore News
Three critical factors led to Mas Selamat's escape
Posted: 21 April 2008 1547 hrs
SINGAPORE:
A confluence of three critical factors led to security lapses that resulted in Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainee Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from detention in February.
This was the conclusion of the Committee of Inquiry (COI) on Mas Selamat's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on 27 February this year.
The findings of the three-member panel were presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng in Parliament on Monday afternoon in a Ministerial Statement.
First, there was a physical security breach as the ventilation window in the toilet – from which Mas Selamat made his escape – did not have grilles.
Second, the guards watching Mas Selamat allowed him to close the door of the urinal cubicle when they should not have done so.
And third, there was a physical weakness in the perimeter fencing outside the Family Visitation Block, where the toilet was located, which made it easier for Mas Selamat to get out of the detention centre's premises.
On the day of his escape, Mas Selamat was escorted by two Gurkha guards and a Special Duty Operative - who is an Internal Security Department (ISD) officer - from his cell to a locker room to change into civilian clothes for his family's visit.
At the locker room, the guards lost sight of him when he stood behind a column of lockers to change. He was then escorted to the Family Visitation Block, where he used a toilet, renovated in 2007, to shave and comb his hair before meeting his family members.
He then entered a urinal cubicle, closed the door and turned on a water tap inside the cubicle. One guard stood outside the cubicle door, while the other was outside the main toilet door.
After a while, the guard outside the cubicle felt Mas Selamat was taking too long. But instead of checking, he alerted the second guard outside the toilet, who alerted the female Duty Operative. The Duty Operative then alerted a male Assistant Case Officer, who ran in, kicked open the door and found Mas Selamat gone. The ventilation window in the cubicle was left open.
Mr Wong said the delay by the guards and their failure to keep Mas Selamat in sight was the second most critical security failure which led to the terrorist's escape.
By this time, 11 minutes had lapsed since he first entered the toilet.
The COI found that during renovations in 2007, grilles had not been fixed to that particular toilet window due to a misunderstanding between the ISD and the contractor.
The superintendent of the centre, who was alerted to this weakness in May 2007, asked the contractor to saw off the window handle as a security measure instead, which Mr Wong said was a bad judgement on the superintendent's part.
In addition, the CCTV coverage of the area was being upgraded to add motion-detectors, but the cameras were not yet operational.
While there is no conclusive evidence as to how he had escaped from the centre after that, the COI believes Mas Selamat may have climbed onto the roof of an enclosed staircase which converges with the perimeter fencing. He could then have jumped over the fencing out of the centre.
The COI also believes that the JI leader had planned his escape over time.
DPM Wong said: "Prior to his escape, during previous family visits, Mas Selamat had partially closed the urinal cubicle door on some occasions.
"On 5 February 2008, he had closed the urinal cubicle door completely and turned on the water tap. The COI believes that these actions by Mas Selamat could have been done to test how the guards would react. This could also have helped him prepare for his actual escape attempt.
"This planning had not been noted by the guards, possibly because the guards are frequently rotated to avoid over familiarisation or fraternisation with detainees."
The COI – comprising Mr Goh Joon Seng, a retired High Court Judge; Mr Tee Tua Ba, a retired Commissioner of Police; and Dr Choong May Ling, Deputy Secretary of Security at the Home Affairs Ministry – was given full access to all information in its investigations of Mas Selamat's escape. This included highly classified and sensitive information on operational systems and processes, as well as access to interviews with ISD intelligence and field personnel.
The committee submitted its report on 10 April and Mr Wong said he is "satisfied" that it has "held nothing back" in its conclusions and recommendations. He added that in view of the keen and valid interest of MPs and the public, an Executive Summary has been released on the COI's findings.
In response to a question from opposition non-constituency MP Sylvia Lim, Mr Wong said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is expected to make a ministerial statement in Parliament on Tuesday on government responsibility for Mas Selamat's escape. - CNA/so
(Click here to access the article on the Channel News Asia website)
And for those of you screenwriters who are planning on a inspiring series about a limping inmate escaping out of a maximum security facility, check the links below for good material references:
The Straits Times Online articles-
*Human Lapses
*Physical Lapses
*DPM Wong Responds To Host Of Questions By MPs
Anyway, my overall feeling for the latest development is, well..... obvious. If Mas Selamat's escape is to be made into a miniseries, I wonder how the problem of plot holes within the script be filled up. I also noticed that the word of the day is 'complacency', though I thought another 'C' word, 'conspiracy' is really what we need, just to keep the story going. I don't see it anywhere on the Strait Time's script.
Back to the plot holes..... some of them are very interesting when you come to think of it. My favourite one is this:
" THERE were no grilles on the toilet window through which Mas Selamat Kastari escaped.
CCTV cameras were not yet in commission, so while they were working, there was no recording or active monitoring."
Whoa. A double whammy. Top up those with these other factors:
-The Gurkha who was supposed to look after Mas Selamat, had to consult his colleague after Selamat spend too long a time in the urinal cubicle. His colleague then consult the special duty operative, who then have to consult the assistant case officer who did the thinkable that should have been done minutes ago by kicking in the door (sound so much like Government Services).
Impressive.
-Mas Selamat did not hand over his detention attire after changing to his civilian clothing for family visit. The personnel who are supposed to receive the detention attire, apparently did not notice.
Speaking of toilets again.....
-.....a renovation in 2007 had conveniently left the window of the cubicle (from which Selamat escaped) without grilles. How Selamat was conveniently allowed to use that cubicle instead of the other, I assumed, more secured cubicles is a mystery even the guys at Guantanamo Bay will scratched their head over. The explanation (regarding the grilles) is even more laughable:
" The Internal Security Department (ISD) told the vendor to install the grilles, but when renovations were carried out in 2007, this toilet window remained unsecured 'due to a difference in understanding...over exactly which windows were to be secured', DPM Wong said. "
A little common sense goes a long way, dudes.
Really, dear readers, if you want to make sense of the plot holes, you should read my previous take on the story, regardless how stupid it may sound. It does not take a lot to judge the truth of DPM Wong's denial of insider job on the part of ISD officers.
Of course, if you are willing to accept the Government-approved scripts, you will believe that:
*Gurkha are dumb assed, illy trained and very complacent personnel who ought to get replaced by female kindergarten teachers.
*Whitley Road Detention Centre is a place where Chee Soh Juan will have no trouble finding his way out.
*You can dressed yourself like someone prepared for winter and nobody will asked why.
*If you intend to 'book out' unnoticed, just request for a toilet without window grilles.
*Whether you are PES A or even PES F, you can easily scale through toilet windows, climbed onto the roofs of walkways and jumped over the security perimeter fences, in a timing of about 49 seconds (Lesser if you don't have a limp on your left leg).
*It's 'COMPLACENCY', dudes, not 'CONSPIRACY'.
Nuff said.
Enjoy the popular reception MHA's latest drama is receiving right now.
Fans' feedback at:
-Mr Wang Says So
-Mr Brown
-The Online Citizen
For more, check out at:
-SG Daily
Mr Wong Kan Seng, giving a full account of Mas Selamat's escape yesterday.
"It's... COMPLACENCY !"
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