S'PORE CONFERS MEDAL TO MALAYSIA'S SPECIAL BRANCH DIRECTOR

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysian police Special Branch (SB) director
Ramli Sha'ari has been conferred Singapore's Meritorious Service Medal by the
republic's president for his role in establishing stronger ties between the SB
and the Internal Security Department of Singapore (ISD).

An investiture ceremony was held at the home affairs ministry here where its
minister, Wong Kan Seng, who is also deputy prime minister, and representing
President S. R. Nathan, presented the award to Ramli.

In a statement here, the ministry said Ramli had actively promoted ties
between the SB and ISD, and under his leadership, the relationship between
the two police branches had grown even closer with substantive exchanges of
counter-terrorism intelligence and joint operations against the Jemaah Islamiah
(JI) and other terrorism-related targets.

Over the last few years, it said, close collaboration between the SB and ISD
had led to the apprehension by the Malaysian police of a number of Singaporean
JI fugitives hiding in Malaysia.

The ministry said in particular, the SB had devoted significant resources to
investigating the possibility that Singapore JI leader Mas Selamat Kastari could
be hiding in Johor, following his escape from Singapore last year.

The recapture of Mas Selamat last April was a testament, both to SB's
professionalism and operational excellence, and to Ramli's astute leadership and
resolve in fighting terrorism, added the statement.

It pointed out that the SB's counter-terrorism efforts and successes had
helped to make Singapore and the region safer.
-- BERNAMA