KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysian police are on the alert for Singaporean fugitive Mas Selamat Kestari, the alleged leader of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant network in the republic, who escaped from custody on Wednesday.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said police had beefed up security and had distributed photographs of Mas Selamat to the respective enforcement agencies along the border. Patrols along the border too would be intensified.

Mas Selamat escaped from a local detention centre at 4.05pm, said Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs.

He is accused of planning to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi Airport in Singapore.