SINGAPORE : Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed that the Singaporean arrested in Sumatra by the Indonesian authorities for links with Jemaah Islamiyah is not Mas Selamat Kastari.
A spokesman said the ministry has been in communication with its Indonesian counterpart, but it is unable to share more details as this is an ongoing operational matter.
Indonesian media reports have identified the Singaporean as Abu Hazam, who is also known as Omar. Abu Hazam was arrested last Saturday in the Sumatran village of Sekayu.
Meanwhile, an expert on international terrorism said the arrests of terror suspects in Sumatra have emphasised the need for greater vigilance amongst security agencies in this region.
Dr Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the arrest of a Singaporean, who was among the suspects linked to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group, demonstrated clearly the prevailing threat of terrorism in Singapore.
According to Dr Rohan, JI’s centre of activity has always been in Java, but actions against the terorist group by the Indonesian police have resulted in the group moving its operations to Sumatra.
Dr Rohan said: "The network in Sumatra not only poses a threat to Indonesia, but also to Singapore, Malaysia and countries outside Indonesia. The fact that a Singaporean with links... to the most extremist faction of Jemaah Islamiyah was arrested in Sumatra demonstrates the continuing terrorist threat to Singapore.
"The fact that Singaporeans still serve in Jemaah Islamiyah will only call for greater vigilance and greater attention... on the threat of terrorism to Singapore."
Indonesian police have also seized explosives which could have been five times as powerful as those used during the 2005 terrorist attacks in Bali which left many tourists dead.
Dr Rohan added: "(This) also demonstrates that Jemaah Islamiyah is willing to kill people in large numbers. The cell that was neutralised in Sumatra was not only planning to conduct suicide attacks against high profile targets, but also western and non—Indonesians.
"They were planning not only to use explosives, but also ammunition and firearms. So the threat from JI will not be confined only to vehicle bombs and backpack bombs. JI will use firearms in the coming months and years."
That is why Dr Rohan feels it is important for cooperation among regional countries in their battle against terrorism to be at all levels of the intelligence and security establishments.
