Mas Selamat Kastari was Singapore's most wanted man when he was on the run from December 2001 to February 2006. He was the Former head of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terrorist cell here. Mas Selamat had been taken from his cell to another part of the Whitley Detention Centre for a visit from his family. He then asked to be allowed to visit the toilet, where he escaped.

As to why the public was informed of the escape only some four hours after it happened, Mr Wong said the focus was to lock down the detention centre before starting a systematic operation to search for the fugitive and arrest him. That was because the security assessment was that the escape posed no imminent danger to the public.

Mas Selamat fled Singapore in December 2001 following an Internal Security Department operation against the JI network here. He was arrested in Bintan by the Indonesian authorities in 2003 and deported to Singapore two years ago. "His mindset is more Al Qaeda then JI. He had planned to hijack a plane from Bangkok and crash it into Changi.

Following Mas Selamat's escape, at least 400 policemen, special operations personnel, and Gurkhas clad in army fatigues were deployed to form a human cordon that stretched from Anglo-Chinese School at Barker Road all the way down to Singapore Chinese Girls' School at Dunearn Road and St Joseph's Institution at Malcolm Road. The police line in the Whitley area, with police officers spaced about 10m apart, went as far as Chancery Lane and Goldhill Avenue, near Barker Road, onto Dunearn Road.

Interpol posted an Orange Notice, or urgent worldwide security alert, on its website, after a request from Singapore. The Orange Notice means the militant leader's photograph and fingerprints will be issued to each of Interpol's 186 national central bureaus. Orange Notices can be issued by Interpol's general secretariat in Lyon, France, for any event posing a risk to the safety and security of citizens worldwide.

Mr Wong said that, 'Security at our land, sea and air checkpoints have been tightened, including areas where there may be a possibility that he may leave from places which are not the normal checkpoints.'He also said that Singapore's attractiveness as an event or investment destination will decline if it cannot ensure safety and security.

In the event that you might have information on Mas Selamat, please call Police at 999.

Yes, this is how he looks like. Beware! I supposed this is one big news about Singapore always hold very much importance in the area of security. But this security lapse is really surprising news that shocked me who don't usually care much about such stuff about terrorism. How on earth did he managed to escape and not handcuffed? I mean doing business also can have a handcuff on what.

There is a possibility that he might escape to Indonesia, but if he remains in Singapore, if he is cornered (which is most likely since Singapore is so efficient), he might hold a hostage or might carry out a terrorist act. This is super dangerous! And the thing is he looked so common just like any other Malay guy, which means if I were to see him, I might not even recognise him which adds on to the danger. Somehow I have a bad feeling that he might not be so quickly caught. Terrorists nowadays really know how to escape.

May God lead the police to caught him nevertheless without any casualties. Amen.