Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Oh Mas Selamat! U lucky devil

The Minister of Law has decided to come (pseudo) clean on how Mas Selamat was harboured and managed to getaway from watchful eyes.

Without a doubt, it paints a picture of lapses on many levels. We can call it intelligence failure or national security failure. It's like watching an ant crawl through a piece of kueh lapis effortlessly. At the same time, I cannot help but to marvel at how lucky Mas Selamat had been. From breaking out, commuting around Singapore to his arrival in JB. It's like watching Bruce Willis come out with only a few scraps with each installment of Die Hard (though MSK is very much at the other side of the law).

Now we Singaporeans cannot stomach the fact that the authorities had actually let slip that he would go to his immediate family for help. To us commoners, we would think that it is a no-brainer, watch his brother's place damnnit. On MSK's part, it was a huge gamble and it certainly paid off. What's not so fortunate now is that his brother's family is implicated. Kinship? Blood is thicker than water? This presents a moral dilemma. Citizen first, family second, religion third? How many of us have actually called the police so that they can arrest a family member? Many armchair critics have commented online that perhaps the Asmoms could have at least ratted on him after sending him away in the religious headdress. Honestly, what would the rest of the 100+ family members think of the Asmoms if they know that MSK had been betrayed out by his closest kin? Maybe this demonstrates the fact that MSK is the hardened terrorist that the authorities have painted him to be. His obvious priority is to escape and disregard the implications that he would bring upon his closest kins.

At the same time, it is clear that we Singaporeans are more upset with the authorities then the family for allowing the harbouring to happen. Singaporeans are divided on the punishment meted out to the Asmoms. Some say it's too light. Some say it's too harsh. My take is just let Nur Aini (his niece) serve her 18 months. Already, her future looks bleak. Besides, a sentence any longer only means that the taxpayers are paying for her imprisonment and her uncle's detention.

On hindsight, we've got MSK back without having to kill anyone. A certain country I know had gone to war on Iraq for years and still have not the chief yet.

I hate to think of how many of how many people would use the headdress to avoid scrutiny.

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