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It started with a late night SMS from Malay/Muslim grassroots leader Mr Abdul Halim Kader, 57, seeking to galvanise community leaders into action.
By 3.30pm on Friday, about 100 volunteers including grassroots leaders, members of the Khadijah Mosque committee, staff from Malay-Muslim welfare organisation Taman Bacaan, representatives from local merchants and hawkers, and other concerned individuals had responded.
They fanned out from the Khadijah Mosque in Geylang Road to distribute 10,000 wanted posters of Mas Selamat Kastari to make it clear that escaped detainee was an enemy of the people, regardless of race or religion.
'I came up with the idea at about 12 midnight. I then sent out SMSes to 10 individuals including five MPs, and by 5.30am I got my first response,' said Mr Halim, president of Taman Bacaan.
Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zainul Abidin Rasheed responded positively to Mr Halim's appeal for support in this community endeavour.
Soon, the other nine others including Mdm Cynthia Phua, a MP for the Aljunied GRC and Marine Parade GRC MP Dr Fatimah Lateef SMSed their support for the cause and mobilised volunteers to join in.
The group gathered in the Khadijah Mosque auditorium on Friday afternoon, when Mr Halim spoke about how giving out the wanted posters was a simple way the community would be able to join in this national effort.
Read the full report in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
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