KUALA LUMPUR: It took just 49 seconds for notorious militant Mas Selamat Kastari to slip out of one of Singapore's most secure detention facilities, sparking a manhunt that gripped the region.
The Feb 27, 2008 escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre, also known as the "Blue Gate", stunned authorities and the public alike.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said that Mas Selamat had begun planning his escape after his detention order was extended by two years.
He identified key vulnerabilities, including weekly family visitation sessions between 4pm and 4.30pm, a temporary relocation of the visiting room due to renovations, and a ventilation window in the toilet that was large enough to slip through — notably without metal grilles.
"Mas Selamat intensified his physical training during exercise sessions, performing push-ups, sit-ups and short runs to build strength and endurance," Ayob said in a Facebook post.
He added that Mas Selamat prepared tools for his escape, concealing pillowcases to use as a disguise, securing an extra razor, and gathering information through coded communication with his wife during visits.
On the day of the escape, he was escorted to the family visitation area around 3.30pm. Inside the toilet, he created a diversion by requesting a replacement razor and turning on the tap, buying precious seconds. Within moments, he climbed through the ventilation window and reached the outer fence.
"Investigations revealed it took him just 49 seconds to exit through the window and under three minutes to reach the Pan Island Expressway," Ayob said.
From there, he fled on foot, travelling about 5km along the expressway before taking shelter beneath a flyover.
He remained in hiding for four days, surviving with the help of a Thai migrant worker who provided food and a small sum of money.
"On the night of March 1, 2008, Mas Selamat made his move to Johor Baru. Disguised as a woman using a pillowcase as a head covering, and after shaving his facial hair and wearing glasses, he boarded a bus from Toa Payoh to Woodlands," Ayob said.
He then improvised flotation devices from empty plastic bottles to swim across the Straits of Johor.
In the early hours of March 2, he navigated drains and industrial areas before reaching the shoreline near Woodlands. By 5.30am, he had reached Stulang Laut.
After resting and drying his clothes, he moved towards Johor Baru, passing near the state police headquarters before boarding a bus to Ulu Tiram, where he sought refuge with a known Jemaah Islamiah (JI) member, later moving to another safe house in Kampung Tawakal.
Despite being on the run, Mas Selamat remained operational.
Ayob said he continued discussing potential attacks, including kidnapping Singaporeans in Johor, targeting strategic locations in Singapore, and attempting to reach the southern Philippines via Sabah.
His escape triggered an extensive, multi-agency manhunt across the region for one of Southeast Asia's most dangerous militants — a pursuit that would last more than a year before ending with his capture. - NST
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