[CCTV down must explain]
Even before the findings were released in Parliament today, I was discussing the Mas Selamat case with one of my managers at the community club. We were using the Mas Selamat case as a parallel to another non-related event. I boldly said that there would probably be not just one factor that led to Mas Selamat's escape - it would have been based on a confluence of factors. And a confluence of factors it was as what DPM Wong had described.

Said PM Lee in his first time commenting on the Mas Selamat case: "It's not done us good for our reputation but I don't think people believe that we are just like any other place where you can have television sets and handphones and other things in jail. I mean we are different ..."

And I have got to agree that we are different - no television sets, no handphones. Just windows that should have grills but did not and CCTV cameras that cannot record. We are indeed different.

I thought it was a big joke when it was revealed that the CCTV cameras had not been commissione and therefore could not record. The footage of CCTV cameras were the key to explaining how Mas Selamat escaped during the lapse of 11 minutes from the time he closed the cubical door to the time his escape was discovered.

In 2006, CCTV footage had played a key role in ascertaining whether something as simple as a form was submitted or not. Sorry seems to be the hardest word to use to apologise for such complacency.

Surely if the Home Team can boast about themselves using their latest technology and warfare in the field and jungles, one can conclude that the Home Team indeed invests in the best equipment including the best CCTV system.

But no one expected it not to work. Now how to explain?