Saraj Din
Former ISD officer (Singapore)
Saraj Din is a former career officer in Singapore Police Force (SPF) who was among the pioneering rank and file of the country's domestic intelligence agency, Internal Security Department (ISD).
His area of specialisation was counter terrorism and particularly hostage negotiations.
He is believed to have served under the following nine ISD chiefs:-
George Bogaars (1961-66)
Tay Seow Huah (1966-?)
Yoong Siew Wah (?-1974)
Wang Hsu Chih (1974-75)
Lim Chye Heng (1975-82)
Eddie Teo (1982-86)
Tjong Yik Min (1986-93)
Chiang Chie Foo (1993-97)
Benny Lim Siang Hoe (1997-2004)
Laju Hijacking (1974)
A group of self-proclaimed 'anti-imperialist' hijackers comprising members of the militant communist Japanese Red Army and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine landed at Pulao Bukom island of Singapore. They intended to sabotage a Shell oil refinery that supplied oil to South Vietnam since they were sympathetic to the communists in North Vietnam.
Explosives planted by these militants caused negligible damage while a few others failed. Consequently, they seized a ferry at Bukom jetty which was popularly referred to in the Malay language as 'laju' (fast). After a few days of negotiations, the hijackers released hostages in exchange for safe passage to Kuwait; it so happened that another group of terrorists had managed to hold the staff at Japanese Embassy in Kuwait hostage and would only release them if the Japanese government would send a plane to Singapore to pick up their comrades and fly to Kuwait, with a further condition: to ensure the group's security, they demanded Singapore government to include guarantors in the flight from Singapore to Kuwait.
S.R. Nathan, then Director of foreign intelligence agency Security and Intelligence Division (SID), was entrusted to lead a group of volunteer officers as guarantors. Saraj was among those who volunteered [Note: Nathan would later become President of Singapore].
Hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 117 (1991)
Flight SQ 117 was a Singapore Airlines Airbus A310 that shuttled routinely between Subang International Airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Changi International Airport, Singapore. On 26 March 1991, four Pakistani passengers who were members of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) hijacked the plane shortly after it took off from Malaysia and demanded diversion to Sydney, Australia. They were later identified as Shahid Hussain Soomro, Fida Mohammad Khan Jadoon, Javaid Akhter Keyani and Mohammad Yousof Mughal.
On being told by the pilot that the flight does not have sufficient fuel to fly till Australia, they allowed the plane to land at its original destination in Changi where they planned to refuel it.
After touchdown, the hijackers conveyed to Singapore authorities via the pilot's communications that they wanted to speak with the Pakistani Ambassador there and deposed PPP Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. They wanted to negotiate the release of multiple PPP captives in Pakistan particularly Benazir's husband Asif Ali Zardari.
Saraj was part of the hostage negotiating team. When he tried reasoning with them in Urdu, the hijackers rushed to the cockpit assuming that their terms were being met. This momentary diversion was quickly seized by Singapore's Special Operations Force (SOF) to storm the plane, kill the hijackers and safely rescue all hostages.
Post Retirement
Retired at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police/ substantive Deputy Superintendent in SPF (1999)
Became Managing Director of a private security company, Premier Security Co-operative Limited, before retiring (2011)
Received an honourary mention by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a Gala Dinner celebrating 75th Anniversary of the ISD (2023)
References
'PM Lee Hsien Loong at the ISD 75th Anniversary Gala Dinner', Prime Minister's Office Singapore, https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/PM-Lee-Hsien-Loong-at-the-ISD-75th-Anniversary-Gala-Dinner-Oct-2023
'Hijacking of Singapore Airlines flight SQ 117', National Library Board Singapore, https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=b1687d86-f5de-45a8-8e0c-1f0465d1bdf6
Jean Iau, 'Risking his life to save hostages: Ex-ISD officer recounts 1974 Laju hijacking', The Straits Times, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/i-was-prepared-to-become-a-hostage-isd-officer-recounts-1974-laju-hijacking
Danson Cheong, 'Leading the Laju mission was one of S R Nathan's key contributions', The Straits Times, https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/leading-laju-mission-was-one-s-r-nathans-key-contributions
'Basil Anthony Herman v Premier Security Co-operative Ltd and others'
[2010] SGCA 15, Singapore Courts e-Litigation, https://www.elitigation.sg/gdviewer/s/2010_SGCA_15