池鱼之殃

The last time, it was Dave Teo who somehow managed to escape an army camp with a SAR21 rifle, causing a big hoo-hah islandwide. But because he was not much of a public threat - he apparently only wanted to shoot his girlfriend for jilting him - and was apprehended within 24 hours, the fallout from that episode was contained.

I guess those serving NS during that sensitive period (including yours truly) bore the brunt of the repercussions, in the form of more stringent checks and regulation enforcements during guard duties. Extras were handed out abundantly whenever there was a perceived lapse in security.

And now we have Mas Selamat Kastari, the JI fugitive who somehow managed to escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre, right under the nose of the ISD. Consequences are much more dire this time, and without doubt, more people have been, and will be affected by the fallout this time round.

Who "suffers"? The police, ghurkas, special forces, and I suspect a lot of NS personnel as well (I heard 46 and some guards got activated) who have been roped in for the ongoing manhunt. All those sleepless and fruitless nights searching for one man who might very well be out of Singapore by now, even though official statements are to the contrary.

But of course, I'm not saying we should spare any expenses, or manpower for that matter, to track down Mas Selamat. That must remain a priority, to salvage the reputation of Singapore and to prevent futher implications. It's just that these hapless people are paying the price for the negligence on the part of the Whitley "crew".

Equally unfortunate are the people who are affected by the traffic jams caused by the stepped-up security, especially at the land checkpoints. The jam at the Woodlands checkpoint was so bad today, it stretched for kilometres (like >50 trucks on 2 lanes in each direction!), spilling over almost to the town centre near my place.

The bus I was on was caught in the jam for >15min because Malaysia-bound trucks took up all the three lanes. Some vehicles even resorted to going against the flow of traffic by using the u-turn lane to get to the other side of the road so as to clear that particular jammed stretch!

I can easily imagine the frustration of the truck drivers who make deliveries between Singapore and Malaysia on a daily basis. They now have to spend hours just trying to get past the Woodlands checkpoint when it probably used to take just minutes. Their livelihoods are affected once again because of the lapse of due diligence by a group of officers.

And some Singaporeans who are used to accountability have called for DPM and minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng to resign over the matter. It's only right that he apologises, which he already did, not only to Singaporeans, but also to the international community for letting loose a dangerous terrorist leader. But for him to step down, whether warranted or not, would not solve the problem, nor would it do Singapore any good for such an experienced Cabinet member to leave the team that has contributed to Singapore's success over the past decade.

I actually feel sorry for him, because it is his subordinates (probably many ranks down, and with whom he has no direct contact) who committed the mistake, but he is the one who has to "take the heat" and answer to the public.

An inquiry has already been ordered, and I'm sure we can expect some casualties at the end of it. Just how high up the ladder that might be - enough to appease the public, I reckon - remains to be seen.