Biggest Cover-up in Singapore ? ?
Jurong Island Theft: 100kg of Jet fuel additive STOLEN !
I was shocked to see this piece of news in The New Paper (29th December 2006). It is reported that thieves had made off with 100kg of Stadis 450, a jet fuel additive. Stadis 450 is classified as a flammable liquid and hazardous material.
The New paper understands that the jet fuel additive was left in six sealed pails which later went missing. I was even more surprised to read that the jet fuel additive has been missing ever since 4th December 2006. The police was subsquently informed of the theft two days later, on the 6th.
According to the Phillipine Daily Inquirer, the incident was serious enough for Singapore authorities to alert a bomb data centre in the Philippines.
Mr Joe Moreira, a security and explosive consultant, doubts that the fuel additive will be a threat. He said, “Jet fuel furns quickly in the air and you can’t sustain it for long. You need diesel to sustain the fire. So, you’ll be wasting jet fuel on a bomb.”
According to the Philippine Inquirer, "The Singapore police have alerted their counterparts in the Philippines about the disappearance of six pails of jet fuel weighing about 100 kilograms from an oil storage facility in the city-state, which they said could be used as a component for explosives, an alert bulletin obtained by the Inquirer said.
The bulletin came as Metro Manila police were recently placed on full alert in the run-up to the sixth anniversary of the Rizal Day bombings. "
I believed there remains of questions left unanswered that the Singapore authorities need to address. I strongly believed that Singaporeans need to know what exactly happened, what the authorities is doing to track down the stolen fuel, what it intends to do to prevent such similar incidents from happening again.
Personally, I would like to put forward the above few questions.
1. Why wasn’t Singaporeans informed of the theft until exactly more than three weeks later?
Why was it that the Singapore media only got to know about the theft through a foreign source?
On top of that, why wasn’t there any statement made by the Ministry of Home Affairs at the point of the theft?
2. How did the entire theft happen in spite of the tight security on Jurong Island? How can someone go in past all the access controls, and come out with stolen goods? (Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, security on Jurong Island has been stepped up and it has also been gazetted a Protected Area. Armed soldiers and police officers are involved in its security. In November 2003, the chemical hub opened a new security checkpoint featuring X-ray scanners to detect explosives and weapons, as well as three-tier vehicle barriers to bar intrusions. On top of all that, visitors must exchange their identity cards for a pass and all incoming vehicles are searched before being allowed entry).
3. If it is proven that there is a lapse in security on Jurong island, who is going to be held accountable?
4. More significantly, if the100kg of jet fuel is made into a bomb with diesel and is made to be detonated during the year-end countdown parties at Marina Bay, Vivo City, Siloso Beach, Expo, National Museum, Who is going to take responsibility for the enormous death toll and subsquently, economic and social damages.
I’m not trying to make a fuss here. I’m just concerned about the authorities’ attempt to hide information from the people. The authorities should alert the people once any breach of security or terror threat is discovered. At least, Singaporeans would not take their peace for granted. Despite all these, why is there still a media blackout on this theft, insignificant it may seem. So does this mean that in future, the authorities would only inform the people once a bomb had went off, or people are killed? I guess it’s a national security issue, thus it should remain secret. Is that the logic of the authorities?
I need answers from the top authorities now and when the investigations are done.
This is my country, my home. I do not want anything to happen to it and I placed my confidence in the security apparatus to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. However, in future, I would like to see a transparent and open attitude towards such breach of security issues. I believed that Singaporeans has the right to know about this. It’s an issue of national interest and by informing Singaporeans, each and every citizen can play its small part in helping to locate the stolen fuels if it is found lying around in our malls, transport systems and even our own neighbourhood.
Right now, many Singaporeans are still unaware of the theft, not to mention how Stadis 450 look like.
Stadis 450 ? What is that ?
