Jailbreak!

The workload's increased by leaps and bounds ever since all the supplies and RSVPs decided to flood in from this week onwards. People love to do last minute things. Myself included. =) So we've been rather busy and time does fly. The weekend's here again!

Anyway, something else happened to help make all our lives a little less boring. Our dear friend, Mas Selamat bin Kastari just gave us the slip. To Indonesia to join his JI comrades, or so analysts say. How on earth did he manage to get out from a high-security detention centre and where could he be hiding? Here are some theories:

1) He practices black magic that enables him to appear just like a cat, and so, was able to slip past everyone. Or so that's what my mum said. No, that's what my mum said that one of my previous Indonesian maids said.

2) It was an inside job. Yes I hear gasps of disbelief. But I see no reason why there can't be other extremists like him working for our uniformed services. It's a possibility you know.

3) He could be hiding in Singapore Chinese Girls' School. As they say, the most obvious place is the safest place. It's such a high possibility that the poor girls were told to move around school not just in pairs, but in huge gangs. Many girls' screams would definitely be heard miles away.

4) He could be hiding amongst the lush foliage of the Botanical Gardens! GGM! It's just next to the Bukit Timah Campus! I could be in danger! Or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve for that matter. His Afghanistan military training would have adequately prepared him for living off the land.

5) He could have already left the country. Like a former JI member said, he could be enroute to Sumatra by now, for all we know. It doesn't take long to get to Indonesia you know. Think Batam.

6) Oh my goodness, why didn't I think of this? He could be hiding in ACS Barker! That's the last place anyone would ever think of looking for him, considering that Barker Road Methodist Church and The Methodist Church in Singapore are based there. Good also lah, at least he might be exposed to the Gospel then. Hmmmm.

Anyway, his escape sparked a massive several thousand-strong manhunt for him, that is still continuing at this time. And it's really massive, because on the way back to Newton this evening, Police SOC personnel, Guards, MPs and what-nots (no Commandoes though. I guess they don't do such silly things) were really standing ten metres apart from each other, from before SCGS, all the way to Goldhill Estate.

Not that they made much of a difference though. But it did give the area a surreal feeling, and made me laugh to myself. Yes, even while I was alone on the bus I couldn't help but smile at the sight of unarmed LBV-clad soldiers (it seems that only the police officers were armed) wearing their red, blue, green and khaki berets. And they were just standing around and chatting. Nope, not even patrolling. What a waste of manpower. All I can say is... PINK IC LOH!

Oh and I last heard that HQ3DA did some patrolling of their own back in Amoy Quee Camp. Yes! Even the specialists and officers were carrying batons and shields just to make sure. Hahaha. But after the whole thing's over, I'm sure they'll publish something in the papers that goes like this,

"The swift reaction and containment of the situation has once again demonstrated the high state of alertness and operational readiness of the Singapore Armed Forces and the Singapore Police Force."

Then we'll be seeing video clips of this incident replayed over and over again for Total Defence Day in the years to come. Just wait and see.

I guess they're so paranoid because Bukit Timah is an upscale, expat area and that the Government has to do all it can to salvage the situation. I mean, it's not very far from Third Avenue and we all know who lives there right. And of course, there's the issue of a breach in "national security". Okay it's not that bad lah, since all the ang mohs are still happily zipping around in their XC90s, ML350s, S500s, GS300s, RX450s, LS460s, 745Lis, 911s, Cayennes, Quattropodes, Gallardos etc. etc. Yes, I've noticed. =) But still, it's a serious dent to our country's otherwise sterling security record.

UAE (Dubai). The Maldives. Nepal. Just three more destinations that I've added to my ever growing list of countries that I may decide to choose from for the trip. Argh. Choices, choices. Then there're budgetary constraints to consider too. =(

Okay enough.