ContemporaryCaliph.Com

It is quite shocking to read the latest news alert on Wednesday night when it was announced that Singapore’s most wanted JI member managed to escape from ISD custody. Knowing for its second-to-none gold security standard, it is hard to believe a clumsy incident like this had happened in Singapore. MHA issued the media statement only slightly after 8 pm on Wednesday night, around 4 hours after the detainee, Mas Selamat reportedly to have escape from the Whitley Detention centre, located near the Old Police Academy and in the vicinity of several schools like SCGS, SJI and ACS (Barker Rd).

First of all, this incident raises several questions to many shocked Singaporeans. I believe only few would have anticipated this to actually happen in Singapore. It is quite puzzling as to how a dangerous man like him managed to give a slip to the security personnel at the detention centre. Reply given by DPM Wong Kan Seng in parliament after being probed by MPs didn’t shed much light to event surrounding this security lapse. It is known that he had been taken from his cell to go to the visitors area to meet his family, when he asked to use the toilet. That was when he vanished. I’m not very sure how convincing this explanation is to the public-at-large; however it raises more questions marks than full stops. Although DPM Wong urged the public not speculate, I believe it is hard not to do so when little information are given by the authority. An independent investigation committee will be set up to study the case carefully, however you can’t just stop thinking and pondering upon what exactly went wrong in the detention centre. Aren’t the security was supposed to be tight enough? How about all the surveillance technologies installed, like the CCTV et al? All that didn’t worked?

Secondly, it is outrageous to find out that the news of his escape was only made public after 4 hours of the manhunt started. Although it was assured that there was no imminent danger as gathered by intelligence services, the fact that a high-profile terrorist suspect was at-large without public knowledge for several hours is a call for concern. However, I’m sure we all know MHA was trying its best to do what it could, especially in a rare situation like this. One thing maybe they can do is to launch “The Great Singapore Terrorist Hunt” and provide monetary incentives to rewards members of the public who wish to participant in this ‘race’, as one STI respondent put that Singaporean love ‘hongbao’…haha!

Thirdly, as a result of this incident, securities checks are being tighten up in many areas especially the checkpoints bordering Malaysia and Indonesia. This is causing unnecessary disruptions to the flow of vehicles in highways and causeways. Definitely, now is not the best time to go to JB, unless you want to be caught in the massive traffic jams. The former Indonesia-based JI leader told CNA that Mas Selamat may have fled Singapore and could already have been in Sumatera Island where there is a JI support network that can shield him from the authority. Security analysts also theorized that he may be trying to get out of Singapore to seek protection and this itself may pose danger to this region. Just hope that he’s still in the island and not escaped to either Indonesia or Malaysia. After all according to Dr Gunaratna, his main aim now is to survive, especially after the severe disruption of the JI network in Singapore. If he was able to flee Singapore then this will cause great embarrassment to the republic for the failure to safeguard the security of the region, especially in keeping this dangerous man under its custody.

Well as of now, after more than 48 hours is his escape, no signs telling that he’ll be caught soon. Ironically, some funny Singaporean actually called the police and declares he is Mas Selamat when he was just trying to joke around with the authority. It is absurd that some irresponsible Singaporean uses such opportunities to make fun, while a serious security issue is happening. Speculations are also mounting as what exactly is happening and what had happened. Some people suggest that he may have escaped by using some ‘magical spell’, though hard to believe, surely you can’t rule this out completely. While some conspiracy theorists suggest creative ideas like he is actually still in the detention centre, this is just an exericise and the most funny I heard is he escaped wearing the Gurkhas uniform as he also looks like one!How creative can these people be!!hahaha!

Massive manhunt is still ongoing with his photos are visibly everywhere in the island. In Masjid Al-Iman for example, I saw every floor including its entrance are pasted with pictures of Mas Selamat (more than the portrait of President Nathan you can find :P). Indeed he is really a WANTED fugitive. I read also that his family house in Teck Whye is being heavily guarded by the security forces. I’m sure he is not that unintelligent to have return to his home. But whatever it is, he is really causing a lot of problems to the community. I just hope this saga will end soon, if anything were to happen (Na’uzubillah) Singapore as a country and Muslim community as a race will be in the unwanted spotlights. What we need to do now is of course to stay vigilant and do not be complacent. After this saga end, our security forces are liable for explanations to the public and perhaps it’s about time for us to rethink our safety standard.

Recently, the Turkish government introduced a bill to end the banning of headscarves in public Universities in Turkey. The bill was overwhelmingly supported by member of its parliaments, both form the ruling Islamic-oriented AKP and the opposition from the Nationalist Party. (ST, February 7, 2008). The proposal calls for the insertion of a paragraph in the constitution stating that ‘no one can be deprived of (his or her) right to higher education’.

However, deep-rooted secularism fanaticism in Turkey had once again prompted several secular extremists to hold street demonstrations to protest against the move to lift the ban. Protestors include University deans from dozens of private and state universities who believe that lifting the ban will ‘undermine the secular notion of the Turkish republic’. Secular-oriented unpopular Republican Party had also warned the government that they will challenge the amendment of the constitution in court. At the same time, the powerful military arm, had reportedly tacitly warn against any move to jeopardise the secular ideology of the state. Previously, they had launched several coups to overthrow government that supported was deemed to be Islamically-oriented.

It is quite ironic here when we talk about modernization vis-a-vis liberal democracy, democratically elected government are not free to govern according to the majority of the peoples ‘wish. Despite having the Islamist background in the past, the AKP managed to secure a resounding victory in the recent general election, albeit being opposed by several secular fundamentalists. Being a legitimate democratic government, they should be allowed without any interference from the bureaucracy and judiciary to halt any move when they are legally the government of the state. The people that placed them to power had long envisioned for more justice and fundamental human rights to be observed in Turkey.

It is not the question if Islamic rights, instead it is the universal human rights that guaranteed the freedom of religious practices. I wonder how wearing the headscarves in Universities will undermine secularism. The argument that ‘the head covering as a political statement and fear that lifting the ban at universities would pressure all female students to cover themselves up’ by the secularist is absurd. Why would others be pressured to wear the headscarves in the first place? Are they admitting that is the will of the people to put on the headscarves and therefore banning it in Universities is justifiable? Isn’t this an anti-thesis to the basic notion of human rights? At the same time, isn’t this oppression to the majority for the will of the minority? Is this democratic?

For now, we can only have a look and see approach. If the government is being toppled once again by the military, we’ll see secularist chauvinist force at work that will only undermine the principle of democracy that was introduced by the West themselves.