SOME fretful parents kept their daughters at home, others kept their doors locked, worried that an escaped prisoner might enter their homes, and a postman was jumpy about doing his rounds.

This was the mood in the Whitley and Goldhill area the day after Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from detention.

But students in the area were mostly nonchalant. Indeed, many of them were excited by the presence of security personnel searching for the fugitive.

The JI leader was Singapore's most wanted man when he was on the run from December 2001 to February 2006.

In and out of jail since 2003, he had plotted to crash a hijacked plane into Changi Airport and targeted US personnel and naval vessels here.

In 2006, he was arrested in Java and detained here under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

When a postman, who does his rounds in the nearby Goldhill Avenue neighbourhood, learnt about the escape, he was nervous about going to work yesterday.

Asking to be identified only as Mr Safaruan, he said: 'The first thing when I stepped into the office, the clerk told me to be careful during my rounds.

'I was already nervous after I heard from my friends about how the police are searching the area where I have to make my deliveries.'

Mr Safaruan, 47, said this was the first time he was anxious about going to work in the 17 years of delivering mail around the Goldhill neighbourhood.

The roads around the Goldhill neighbourhood have been under tight surveillance since the escape.

There were soldiers and armed officers guarding and patrolling the area.

Every 10 metres along Goldhill Avenue and Goldhill Rise, and around the neighbourhood there was a soldier or armed officer stationed.

At the entrance into Goldhill Avenue from Dunearn Road, there was a road block to monitor cars turning in and out.

All vehicles exiting Goldhill Avenue were subjected to thorough checks. Boots had to opened for a police officer to examine.

But the strong presence of security personnel did little to ease Mr Safaruan's fears.

'I am riding alone, and I am out here in the open,' he said.

'I read from the news reports that he is not armed, but one can never be sure.

'He can easily climb into one of the houses around here and steal something that can be used as a weapon.'

Mr Safaruan was also afraid that the fugitive might try to steal his scooter.

'I am trying to stay alert. Usually I keep the engine running if I have to get down to slot some mail into the letter boxes.

'Now I take the key out of the ignition if I have to be a few metres away.

'The area behind here is like a semi-jungle. He could be hiding up in a tree, who knows?' he added, half-jokingly.

'I don't want to take any chances,' he said, just as his handphone rang.

His wife was calling to check on his safety.

'My wife is quite worried for me. I just hope the police catch him soon and everything goes back to normal,'he said.

'We are a safe country no doubt, but we cannot take our safety for granted.'

Some residents in the area also expressed concern for their safety.

EXTRA PRECAUTIONS

They said they were taking extra precautions to lock their gates, but most interviewed said they felt safe knowing the security was tight in their neighbourhood.

Said Mrs Ruby Gwee, 72, a resident for 30 years at Goldhill Rise: 'Yesterday when plainclothes detectives visited my house and asked to check my backyard, I knew something big was happening.'

'I was shocked that a detainee could escape from the detention centre. It is a big question mark on my mind, but I am sure the situation is under control.'

Mrs Gwee said the police had searched her backyard and even climbed over her back gate to search the covered drain behind her house.

'I was impressed at how thoroughly they combed the area,' she said.

But Mrs Gwee isn't taking it easy. She padlocked her front and back grill gates, which she usually does not lock.

She also stayed home to keep watch on the house.

Another family is also keeping the doors and gates locked securely.

The Chuas, who have lived at a corner unit of Goldhill Rise, are being extra vigilant.

Said Miss Chua, who's in her 30s: 'Our neighbourhood is usually quiet, but last night it transformed into a scene that you usually see on television police shows.'

She said the police had gone house to house to conduct searches and ask the residents if they had seen any suspicious characters.

'Some of our neighbours gathered to talk yesterday evening and some expressed concern that the escaped convict might run into their compound.

'Those with young children at home were a little more worried,' she said.

On the whole, though, she said she felt safe with the police and soldiers patrolling and guarding the area.

Another resident, Mr Ong Peng Yam, 74, said the area was teeming with policemen and soldiers yesterday.

DRAMATIC SCENE

'I knew it must have been a manhunt. The scene looked very dramatic, with the patrol cars and uniformed personnel walking around, asking residents questions,' he said.

His house is situated at the edge of a forested area that leads to Malcolm Road on the other side.

'It's a mini forest out there, it could be a possible hideout,' he said.

While Mr Ong said he was not overly worried about anyone climbing into his compound, he said he won't be taking his usual walks near the forested area until the fugitive has been caught.

'I am afraid he might be hiding out there. Even if he is unarmed, it is still a threat to our safety,' added Mr Ong.

One resident was far from perturbed by the activity in the area.

In fact, she welcomed the excitement.

Mrs Susan Poon, with her 7-year-old son in tow and 1-year-old daughter in her arms, had come down from her apartment in Goldhill Towers to get a closer look at the special operations command vehicles and army vehicles parked along Goldhill Avenue.

'I am not afraid at all. I am finding all this very exciting actually. It's adding a buzz to the neighbourhood,' she said.

'I am confident the police and the military are doing their job,' she said, adding that the news had not deterred her from taking her usual morning walk around the neighbourhood.

'I feel like we are part of a police action movie,' she said with a laugh.