It seems to be happening on a rather regular basis nowadays - border intrusions.
As reported by The Online Citizen here, a foreigner mother managed to enter Singapore illegally, with the help of two others, to abduct her two-year old son from his grandparents.
The woman apprently engaged the help of a child recovery firm in the UK or Australia (it is not clear where the agency originates from). The managing director of the firm himself planned the illegal entry into Singapore from Langkawi via a catamaran.
The trio managed to slip in unnoticed by the authorities, and were able to go to the condominium where the grandparents stayed with the boy, and even managed to get into an altercation with the boy's grandparents, including his grandmother.
The trio were sentenced on Monday (8 September) - the mother to 10 weeks in jail, and her two accomplices to 16 weeks and 10 weeks. (See here.)
Now, the question is obvious - how did the trio managed to enter Singapore so easily?
As letter Danny Tan wrote to the TODAY newspaper:
"I am disturbed that there was another intrusion into Singapore: A catamaran slipped ashore unnoticed, and its passengers then attempted to abduct a child.
"Such a vessel is not as small and nondescript as a sampan or dinghy, yet it went undetected."
The incident is particularly disconcerting not only because it comes after several intrusions in the last few years, but also because of the potential terrorist threat this poses.
For example, it is a known fact that Singapore is often mentioned as targets by regional terrorist groups. Recently, Malaysian intelligence authorities said militants were intending to establish a Islamic caliphate in the region which would involved Malaysia and Singapore.
Why is our border apparently so porous?
Why, after all the incidents in recent years and the assurances given by our government, has such incidents keep occurring?
If an ordinary person an enter Singapore illegally and so easily, what guarantee is there that we will be able to detect real criminals with more sinister and serious intent, if they too should plan to do damage to Singapore?
*Article first appeared on http://publicopinion.sg/118/another-border-intrusion-sporeans-should-que...