absolutely alex’s adventures & times

Maybe Singapore won’t feel so bad now about the escape of a suspected terrorist chief from the island nation’s detention center, right under the noses of authorities who pride themselves on sophisticated security systems and well-run, incorruptible security forces.

In late February, the Singapore government was forced to acknowledge the breakout of Mas Selamat bin Kastari, alleged by the government to be the leader of a terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah. He has been accused of plotting to bomb the United States Embassy and several other targets in Singapore. He was also believed to have wanted to hijack a passenger jet and crash it into Singapore’s airport.

He is still at large, despite a massive manhunt and an Interpol alert.

Morocco has just reported a similar embarrassment. Nine Islamist prisoners convicted of terrorist offenses just dug their way out of one of the country’s jails.

“They used a tunnel which came out at the house of the director of the prison,” Moroccan professor Mohamed Darif told the BBC. “They must have had accomplices.”

The escaped prisoners were believed to have left a note protesting their innocence and the conditions of their imprisonment.

Like Singapore, Morocco had made fighting terrorism one of the country’s priorities and presented itself as an ally to Western countries in the war against Islamist extremists.

And just like the Southeast Asian nation, Morocco’s case is also a first.

Sophisticated and developed Singapore would loathe to be lumped with Morocco, but that is the unfortunate reality it would have to deal with from now on.

Perhaps those two nations should exchange notes on how not to lose high profile detainees. And commiserate.

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“How does a terrorist escape from such a detention facility? How is it even possible?”

That sentiment is echoed not only by a large number of Singaporeans fascinated and anxious about the breakout from the high-security Singapore detention facilities of terrorist suspect Mas Selamat Kestari on Wednesday, these were also the questions discussed by analysts.

Mas Selamat is one of the suspected leaders of Jemaah Islamiya, the Southeast Asian terrorism arm of Al Qaeda, and had been accused of planning to fly a jet into the Singapore airport and also to bomb US facilities in Singapore, such as the US embassy.

While the Singapore authorities had launched a massive manhunt involving its police, military and Nepalese Gurkas to track down and recapture him, other reports have surfaced that the Singaporeans are looking in vain for him on the island — since he has already hightailed it to Indonesia, home to thousands of tiny islands where it would be much easier for a fugitive to hide.

Mas Selamat is believed to have a good knowledge of how to sneak into Indonesia from the years he spent on the run in the country, as a terrorist operative.

Given that almost four days have gone by since his escape, that prospect is not implausible. It would explain why the Singapore government has tied up with the international police network, Interpol, to issue a worldwide alert on Mas Selamat. It might not be admitting it to its worried citizens, but the Singapore government probably already knows that the chances of recapturing Mas Selamat are getting slimmer with each passing unsuccessful day.

But the fallout for Singapore will still remain high.

As a place that prides itself on sophisticated security systems and well-trained personnel in a corruption-free environment, many are wondering if Mas Selamat had acted alone in his daring breakout. Otherwise, how else could a person who walks with a limp have gotten past the high fences, barbed wires and other presumed alerts of the detention center without raising any suspicions or even notice?

Given his high-profile status as a terror suspect, why were there not restraints, such as electronic tags or even old-fashioned handcuffs on him?

Was there not at least one guard watching over him as he was in the bathroom, the point at which he made his run?

Questions on the level of security imposed on him, the effectiveness of systems in place and the complacency of the security forces, will need good answers from the authorities.

But more damagingly, the image of Singapore as a place where top-notch security and air-tight measures to ensure breakouts remain unheard of is now seriously affected. It gives rise to the question of whether other inmates would be attempting to take a gamble to run, given the relative ease with which a detainee as highly-marked as Mas Selamat got away.

And more disturbingly — would his escape increase the likelihood of terrorist attempts against the island nation, seeing how this incident has reflected on the weaknesses of its systems and personnel?

As for those thinking that Mas Selamat is a crazed Islamist idealist motivated by his desire to get out and complete a mission, think again.

Apparently, he’s looking out for himself now and the jail break was driven by the desire to save his own skin rather than getting out and fulfilling the suicide missions against Singaporean and American infidels, the Singapore newspaper The Straits Times reported.

Mas Selamat was said to have spilled the beans on his fellow jihardists in a bid to get a lighter sentence while in Indonesia. He was believed to have given away details of the location of another wanted Islamist in his organization, Hambali, the head honcho of the Jemaah Islamiyah, currently under US custody at Guantanamo Bay.

With a reputation for being both ambitious and ruthless, Mas Selamat is likely to work hard to ensure that incarceration would be his last.

While the Singapore authorities are already trying to put a positive spin on the incident by saying that its security forces and reputation would bounce back and grow stronger from it, it might have to live a long time with the knowledge of having dropped the ball badly on this one.

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What an embarrassing breach of security it has been for Singapore to report that a top Islamist terror suspect held in one of the highly-policed state’s jails, had broken out.

Mas Selamat Kastari, who was incarcerated in the island’s Whitley Road Detention Center, reportedly gave his captors the slip while going to the bathroom on his way to receiving a visit from his family.

Mas Selamat was accused of planning to hijack a commercial jet and crashing it into Singapore’s airport facilities and plotting to bomb American buildings on the island nation. He was also believed to have been the chief of the Singapore arm of the Southeast Asian Islamist terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for being behind several high-profile suicide bombings in Bali and Jakarta, and has links to Al-Qaeda.

Singapore’s deputy prime minister and security chief Wong Kan Seng was forced to make the unprecedented step of apologizing for the breach and called to answer questions by the country’s parliamentarians on how such an incident could have happened.

“This should never have happened,” Wong told parliament. “I am sorry that it had. An independent investigation is under way and we should not speculate on what and how it happened.”

While blaming a security oversight on the incident, he was also questioned on why there was a long time lag of over four hours before the authorities made public the news of Mas Selamat’s escape.

No doubt some heads will roll for this matter.

This incident will undeniably dent Singapore’s hard-earned reputation of being rigorous on security and anti-terrorism measures.

More embarrassingly, Mas Selamat had also escaped when he was under Indonesian custody. His success again, this time at having outwitted the highly-touted Singaporean security systems, would prove more damaging to Singapore’s reputation than the Indonesian episodes.

The Singaporean authorities, though, are trying to put a brave face on the issue, saying that it has launched a massive manhunt and there was no “imminent danger” to the public as the fugitive was unarmed. It is also in cooperation with neighboring authorities Malaysia and Indonesia to ensure that the ring around Mas Selamat would tighten and get him caught quickly.

They are probably hoping fervently that they get their man and this remains an isolated incident, so that Singapore’s highly-prized reputation of having the region’s most effective and sophisticated security systems will not be tarnished.

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Before the Airbus 380 superjumbo actually carried any passengers, Singapore Airlines – the first to fly the plane – had furiously marketed its super luxurious first-class “suites” as the centerpieces of its new planes which would set new standards in air travel.

Each private suite is enclosed with sliding doors and roller blinds for privacy. And within it, double beds.

When that was first unveiled during the delivery of the world’s largest jetliner to Singapore Airlines in mid-October, petals of flowers were seen strewn on the bed, along with luxurious duvets and covers designed by the French fashion house of Givenchy.

So you couldn’t fault anyone for thinking that the set-up was meant to invoke romance and hint of its ability for passengers to join the mile-high club. Even Airbus’ chief executive Thomas Enders was heard telling the media that he would love to book one of those suites for his 25th wedding anniversary.

Amorous couples looking for new heights to scale quickly booked their tickets with Singapore Airlines on the A380 (Each ticket costs around US$7,160 for the Singapore to Sydney route).

But like a leopard doesn’t change its spots, strait-laced Singapore would probably always be prime and proper.

Singapore Airlines found itself in the awkward position of issuing a public statement appealing to passengers of those coveted suites to refrain from sexual activities. Or at least, if they had to, they ought to be quiet. The explanation Singapore Airlines gave for the rule was that the suites were not soundproof and they did not wish to “offend” other passengers or cabin crew with the sounds emanating from the suites. Singapore Airlines also added that the suites are not completely sealed.

“All we ask of customers, wherever they are on our aircraft, is to observe standards that don’t cause offence to other customers and crew,” Singapore Airlines said in a statement. “Nothing different applies for our Singapore Airlines Suites customers.”

“If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist,” the airline’s spokesman told the Times of London.

You just know it’s the sort of rule that is bound to be broken constantly. Afterall, if raunchy couples couldn’t restrain themselves when they only had bathrooms or their seats before, the double beds and designer sheets are going to be even less of a deterrent. And let’s be realistic here, what could the cabin crew do to enforce it? Knock on the door and insist a couple stop? Throw them off the plane? Not only would it be a tough job for the poor cabin crew to enforce the rule, they would probably look the other way and pretend nothing’s going on – unless other passengers complain.

As you can imagine, this new twist has somewhat caused turbulence to some couples’ plans.

“So they’ll sell you a double bed, and give you privacy and endless champagne and then say you can’t do what comes naturally?” Tony Elwood, who booked one of the cabins on the superjet, told the Times of London. “They seem to have done everything they can to make it romantic, short of bringing round oysters,” Mr Elwood’s partner Julie said. “I’d say they shouldn’t really complain, should they?”

At those prices, they shouldn’t, indeed.

Formula One racers will have a new race location next year, but is it one with a higher safety risk?

After months of speculation and behind-the-scenes haggling over terms and conditions with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Singapore’s finally clinched the deal to be the latest city added to the F1 circuit from next year.

In a first for Formula One, it plans to hold races at night, in order to make broadcast times more accessible to its European audience and maximize viewership.

Teams and drivers have reportedly expressed reservations at the gimmicky idea.

No wonder, especially since Singapore’s race will be a 4.8 kilometre street circuit through the city’s central business district and downtown where a multi-billion dollar casino resort will be ready in 2009, instead of a custom-built track. The city-state is also prone to intermittent rain, especially during months in the later part of the year, when the race there is scheduled.

F1 cars do not have headlights and will be completely reliant on the circuit to be flood-lit for them to see clearly (some say the amount of electricity needed would be enough to light up a small country). After all, if you were ripping down the road at mind-boggling speeds of up to 230 miles per hour, you’d better be sure all the conditions are right.

Singapore’s prize comes in the wake of the sport’s governing body, Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, approving the increase in the number of races per season from 17 to 20. The FIA will also be the final authority giving the green light for staging a night race, although the Financial Times reported that it seemed unlikely.

Gallo/ Getty image

Teams and drivers had already spoken out against the number of races per season, arguing for a shorter calendar after 2005’s grueling 19 races. More races also mean a heavier financial burden, even as teams face the loss of sponsorship from big tobacco with the ban on tobacco advertising on the cars recently coming into force.

Of course their calls have fallen on deaf ears. In this sport as with all others, cash considerations come first. Surveys show that F1 fans want more races, while the line for cities eager to host the Gran Prix gets longer every year, making the F1 races is one of the biggest televised sports. Looks like there would not be a reprieve soon for the teams and drivers.

“Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.”

- Simon and Garfunkel

Singaporeans are in a great hurry.

They beat folks from 32 other cities to win the dubious honor of being the fastest walkers, outpacing those from bigger cities like New York or Tokyo, even as the pace of life worldwide has sped up by 10 per cent since 1994.

Singaporeans took just 10.55 seconds to walk along a 60 ft stretch of pavement, clocked by researchers who conducted their tests on wide, busy streets in each city.

Studies have shown that as people move faster they become less likely to help others, while also becoming prone to having higher rates of heart disease.

But the hurried street-crossing is just the latest disturbing sign of the frenzied pace of life there. It’s been so deeply embedded in Singaporeans – you can’t let up or the competition will catch up and leave you in the dust. So forget about slowing down. You’d better hurry if you want to make those millions to buy that swanky downtown condominium overlooking the water. And don’t even talk about having fun. There’s no time for that.

Underneath the shiny skyscrapers and the prosperity, Singaporeans have been fuelled by the twin demons of fear of being overtaken and materialism. I don’t know how much this study will make them stop and think, but it really is time Singaporeans stopped the relentless pursuit of material gain, smell the flowers and do something good for their health, and their soul.