Forum Rebuttals to MHA over blunders

The following is the MHA replies on Mas Selamat blunders:

MHA replies on Mas Selamat case

Letter from TOH YONG CHUAN
Director (Corporate Relations),
Ministry of Home Affairs

I THANK Mr P N Balji for sharing his observations in the commentary “Dangers of a Bunker Mentality” (March 3). Mr Balji observed that many, including those who wrote to the press, wondered how the escape could have happened and wanted an explanation. We acknowledge that the public wants to know what happened in the escape of JI detainee Mas Selamat. We do too.

That is why a CID investigation was immediately launched to among other things, uncover whether there has been any criminal wrong-doing.

The Minister has also established a Committee of Inquiry under the Prisons Act, to discover specifically how the escape occurred and to recommend appropriate actions to prevent such an incident from occurring again.
When the incident was discovered, the first priority was to lock-down the Centre, account for all the detainees and launch an immediate and thorough search of the entire site and its vicinity. Security at all our checkpoints and border was also alerted and stepped up. The professional assessment made then was that Mas Selamat had no plan of action or access to resources which would pose an imminent threat to the safety of any target within Singapore or to the public in general; he was on the run, would seek to hide and try to leave the country.

Following the above, the first media statement was issued to raise a public alert. It contained facts that were immediately certain at that point in time. More information was released as could be established with certainty and
which would not compromise any action being undertaken.

Mr Balji wrote that the first media briefing was conducted by the Police four days after the escape. The fact was that even before the briefing by Police Director of Operations on March 2, MHA and police media relations officers had been attending to media queries and addressing them as best as they could.

There was and is also a daily media meeting every morning hosted by the Police Affairs Department at Police Headquarters for security and crime-beat reporters. Police have also since started media briefings chaired by the Police Director of Operations to give a broader update on developments from time to time.

On hindsight, could some of the facts about Mas Selamat been made known earlier than were released? Probably so and for that we agree that we could do better. However, the complete facts and circumstances addressing
fully the question of how Mas Selamat escaped is now the subject of a criminal investigation and more so, an inquiry by a Committee of Inquiry. We should await their findings.

Indeed, we are grateful for the spontaneous community help that we have received from Singaporeans who know that the first priority now must be to find and apprehend Mas Selamat.

The following is the rebuttals by a forummer escobar42:

refer to "MHA replies on Mas Selamat case" in Today 6/3 voices pg (sorry i don't hv the link) by Toh Yong Chuan director of pr for MHA...

this appears to be MHA's first in depth (well slightly) public comment on its performance wrt Mas' escape thus far, and to me it looks pretty weak and unsatisfactory..

1. not unexpectedly MHA appears to try to 'hide' behind the present CID investigation and the COI..."...We acknowledge that the public wants to know what happened in the escape of JI detainee Mas Selamat. We do too...We should await their findings..."...

ok then MHA, u say "the Minister has also established a Committee of Inquiry under the Prisons Act, to discover specifically how the escape occurred and to recommend appropriate actions to prevent such an incident from occurring again..."...1 simple Q, how can the COI just on the face of it, be considered, independent, objective, fair and transparent, when one of its members is the DS in MHA answerable to the very same Minister who has "established" the COI?...

2. MHA says that certain things had to be done before the first media statement was issued to raise public alert...lock down of WDC; account for all detainees; launch immediate and thorough search of the entire site and its vicinity; all checkpoints and borders also alerted and stepped up; professional assessment made that Mas had no plan of action or access to resources which pose an imminent threat to the safety of any target within Singapore or public in general...

once the abv was concluded, then the "first media statement was issued to raise public alert" containing facts that were "immediately certain at that point time...more information was released as could be established with certainity and which would not compromise any action being undertaken..."

ok then MHA, so is 4 hrs a reasonable and satisfactory time frame to make the first public alert media release?...especially taking into consideration that there appear to be very few detainees at WDC in the first place..also why was the info so skimpy and paltry in the first place?...why no profile pictures first off?...why no elaboration on Mas' limp in his left leg and when it becomes apparent?...why no information on the clothes that he had on?...do u mean it takes days to establish wif "certainity" these "facts"? particularly considering the urgency and gravity of this case...

3. MHA says that its pr team were attending to media queries fm the start "as best they could" although the first media briefing was only conductred 4 days after the escape...

ok then MHA but what sort of response do u call this when all it appears to be is a stonewall?...

4. MHA then went on to say..."On hindsight, could some of the facts about Mas Selamat been made known earlier than were revealed? Probably so and for that we agree that we could do better..."

ok then MHA, but u appear to be following yr leader Wong Kan Seng in this regard wif his so called apology in parliament which appeared to be merely a form of regret...why or why is it so hard for you MHA, to make a proper clean and sincere apology instead of coming up wif disingenuous explanations?...

5. not unexpectedly, MHA ends off its letter by trying to distract and digress fm its apparent incompetence and mismanagement of this entire episode thus far fm the very moment that Mas escaped by disingenuously saying "We are grateful for the spontaneous community help that we have received from Singaporeans who know that the first priority now must be to find and apprehend Mas Selamat"...

sorry MHA but no cigar...this is just unacceptable and unsatisfactory...