Across Asia: Singapore

PM slams prison guards

The prison escape of a suspected top Islamic militant in Singapore is a blow for the city-state, although it is still not clear how he managed to break out, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

The Straits Times newspaper on yesterday quoted Lee as saying that the Feb. 27 escape of Mas Selamat bin Kastari, the alleged leader of the Singapore wing of Islamic militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), was due to complacency among security officials.