Professional and competent

I always have high regard for our security people. And I said that not without any justification. The last 40 years of security and a sense of being in a safe country speak for this belief. And many Singaporeans can swear by this too. But with the Mas Selamat case, it puts everyone in doubt. The Chinese has a phrase called 'mao dun.' This is best exemplified when my kopitiam talk cock friends pointed out all the glaring shortfalls that a boy scout could do better. The escape was due to a confluence of factors, factors that are too elementary, that should not have been there in a highly professional and competent organisation. Grunt has pointed out many shortcomings and confusing facts above that I don't wish to elaborate or to repeat. If Mas Selamat escaped through a well thought out plan, with the assistance of a gang of helpers, that would be a different issue. What had happened, when a highly dangerous prisoner could practically walked out of a high security centre, must have baffled many people. What does the simplicity of the escape says? It is this simplicity that is shocking and unforgiveable, if I have to put it bluntly. The security personnel and system were not challenged a little bit. They actually facilitated the escape. The more I look at the facts presented, the more ridiculous the escape becomes. And my kopitiam friends asked, 'Can you call that professional and competent?' I have nothing else to say.