Was Mas Selamat Kastari assited in his escape? And by whom?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On February 27, 2008 Mas Salamat Kastari, an alleged member of the Jama Islamia, in detention at the top security Internal Security Detention Center at Whitely Road managed to escape. Did he manage it himself or was he given a helping hand?

I don't think anyone who knows anything about Singapore or it's prisons even for one moment actually believes that Kastari managed to escape himself. Not possible in Singapore unless he can fly, but he cannot. And mind you even if he can fly, he still will not be able to escape from this particular facility because even Fort Knox does not have the security that it has. To put it in 3 words, that place at Onoret Road is "Top Top Security" from which no one escapes, period. Regardless of the stories put out by the state controlled press of Singapore, such as " he escaped from the prison's toilet"! You can say that to the Marines! But you are not saying that to me!

How then did he manage it? If you consider the background facts, many possibilities come to mind.

The JI are connected to Al Queda. And being Arabs, they have money. Lots of it. And their reputation is being hurt by their number one man in JI being held in Singapore. So with their money, they are in a good position to try to get their man out. Their reputation is hurting with their Number one JI man in prison in Singapore.

Then we have the Gurkhas who are the main guards at that facility. Gurkhas come from Nepal. No matter how good their reputation is for integrity and loyalty, they come from a country where corruption is a way of life.You cannot manage to get anything done, even the simplest thing, without a bribe. The Gurkhas coming from Nepal are fully accustomed in these corrupt ways; even if they themselves are not corrupt.

Then we have the local Singaporean police and Internal Security Department Officers who are in charge. In Singapore corruption exists at the highest levels of government and is openly done. The Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew and his son, pay themselves $3.7 million a year, not counting the other millions being siphoned off from the profits of government linked companies such as Tumasek and GIC Singapore. Such corruption by the Lee family is condoned by the Singapore population.

With such a bad example set by the government ministers themselves, at the highest levels of bureaucracy, Singapore people have become immersed in corrupt ways. You have heard of Singapore lawyers being the most dishonest of lawyers anywhere in the world, with their constant running away with their clients money. Almost one lawyer a month!

Then we constantly hear of corrupt police officers, corrupt real estate agents, corrupt officers of charities, the biggest crooks being those in the National Kidney Foundation whose theft ran into several millions. Corruption is an accepted way of life for Singaporeans, such as it is for the citizens of Nepal.

So is it not possible that the following had happened? From 2006, the time Kastrai had been detained at the Whitely Detention Center, oil rich Arab financiers could have been talking to the Singapore police and ISD officers and the Gurkha police there; to see if they could bribe one or more of them to arrange an escape for Kastari, in return for a small bribe of say $3 million US dollars, to be paid into the bank account of say, Ram Bahadhur Gurung, a common Gurkha name, into his bank account in Kathmandu or perhaps Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles?

Or perhaps the bank account of Chua Mui Hoong or some other like her, ISD officer who doubles as the Editor of the state controlled paper the Straits Times; into her bank account perhaps in the Cayman Islands or Bermuda?

$3 million US Dollars is very encouraging and very persuasive for both the particular Gurkha officer or the corrupt Singapore police or ISD Officer; but a mere trifling for the oil rich Arabs.

This is what I think could have happened. It is impossible for him to escape from that detention facility. He was assisted, perhaps by a Gurkha. It is true that Gurkhas have an impeccable reputation for loyalty and integrity, but only so far. Yes, they served the British Army loyally and with distinction for over 400 years. They do so even today. But with the Gurkhas increased sophistication and modernity today, the question is, do they have the same loyalty for dictatorships like Singapore and for dictators such as Lee Kuan Yew.

I am sure every Gurkha just like most educated Singaporeans have only disgust and abhorrence for men such as Lee Kuan Yew who go around the island bullying his detractors. Singapore, they know, is not Her Britannic Majesty's Great Britain. The UK is a respectable country. Singapore is nothing more than a banana republic. So perhaps, a few Gurkhas had finally decided that Lee Kuan Yew himself should be taught a lesson by pointing out to him, that he is not so smart after all; took the money from the Arabs and will soon leave Singapore when their tour of duty ends for a life of luxury and privilege with $3 million dollars?

Could not some Singaporean like Chua Mui Hoong or some other ISD officer stationed at the detention facility have done the same?

In fact they could have not only carried out the escape; they probably also made Singapore look like an absolute fool. If you recall, the government had not made the escape public till 4 hours after the escape. Could not the Gurkhas and the Singapore police involved have deliberately done this so as to give ample time for Kastari to change from prison clothes; jump into a waiting car with his baggage; sped off to Malaysian border post with a false passport and quietly entered Malaysia en route to Indonesia. All easily in 4 long hours? And while Kastrari was already either in Malaysia or Indonesia, Singapore police have carried on with their desperate island wide manhunt searching under drains culverts manholes for the invincible JI leader.

And in fact, the Singapore police and army goons are still at it; with island wide manhunt, standing in the way of everyone and everybody going about their business; causing obstruction and annoyance; claiming to be looking for the elusive Kastari?

Had I been Kastari, safely in some village in Indonesia watching the hard work of the Singapore police, I would be opening a bottle of champagne and having a good laugh. But being a Muslim, perhaps he did not have that champagne, but nice good cup of coffee would be fine enough.

And by the way, should not Lee Kuan Yew, who does not trust his own Singapore police to guard him and his family; trusting the Gurkhas instead; perhaps now reconsider whether is it such a good idea after all; trusting these Gurkhas to protect them? If they could have possibly let Kastari escape for money, could they also not turn a blind eye if the Al Queda is minded to finish off Lee Kuan Yew? Perhaps for another small sum of $3 million US dollars? Lee Kuan Yew has to answer this question himself. I cannot do it for him.

And by the way, Singapore's octogenarian, Lee Kuan Yew, has written a book claiming it is a first world country!

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com