Mas Selamat hid in small village in Johor
By Zaki Amrullah
Mas Selamat lived in a picturesque traditional stilted house, surrounded by fruit trees, in a tiny village in Johor stateSKUDAI, JOHOR BAHRU: Residents in Malaysia's Johor town of Skudai who came into contact with Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari have painted differing profiles of the man.
Some described him as aloof while others said he was polite and easy to talk to.
It seems that Mas Selamat had found the perfect hiding place in Malaysia after his escape from Singapore's Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year.
The fugitive stayed in a secluded village in Malaysia's south before he was recaptured on 1 April.
The village, called Kampong Tawakal, is about 10 kilometres off the North-South Highway near the Kempas exit.
The village has less than 100 people.
Neighbours said Mas Selamat arrived last August and stayed at an un-numbered house.
"He was like an ordinary person. He seemed very pious. You must understand, a pious man doesn't want to mix around nor discuss trivialities. When we met, he only greeted us with "May peace be upon you, Haji." We were headed to the prayer hall. We also didn't ask who he was," said neighbour Jamian Simin.
But there was another side to Mas Selamat. Some described him as a respectful person who loved to fish at a nearby canal.
"He was a nice guy, his attitude was good. He was soft-spoken and respectful to me. I called him 'elder brother'. But when we spoke, he wouldn't face me but looked left, right and up. He wouldn't look me in the eye," said a resident.
During his stay in the village, Mas Selamat did odd jobs and laid low.
He trimmed vegetation, planted banana trees and tapioca and bathed from a well nearby.
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