Friday, May 8, 2009

THE MSK PLAY - Act IV will be a doozy

When news broke of Mas Selamat Kastari’s (MSK) escape back in February 2008, I, and I thrust many others, was left in utter disbelief. This dramatic Richard Kimble-nesque event set the scene for Act I of a play which threatened to have no conceivable end.

With the main character established, Act II brought the first turning point in this saga as an outraged populace grabbed pitch forks and sought answers, and hopefully some closure. The appointed Committee of Inquiry (COI), produced stunning evidences of operational breakdowns at the Whitely Road Detention Centre, and the term “complacency” began circulating in our minds and in public discourse.

In any good play, Act III would provide a second turning point where the pace quickens and the drama intensifies. Act Three is now upon us as it was announced this morning that MSK was captured in Malaysia following a joint-operation involving the internal agencies of the two countries. While many more questions can now be answered, the first natural response by the Government and the ISD, and all of us as well, would be to release a collective sigh of relief.

From a play that threatened to suspend itself at Act II, this Act III is indeed welcomed. However, the pitch forks are always at an arms length away and I suspect the Final Act (IV) will be perhaps the most captivating.