MacDonald House bombing

MacDonald House bombing
Part of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
MacDonald House in 2018
LocationSingapore[a]
Coordinates1°17′57.11″N 103°50′45.73″E / 1.2991972°N 103.8460361°E / 1.2991972; 103.8460361
Date10 March 1965; 59 years ago (1965-03-10)
3:07 pm (UTC+08:00)
TargetMacDonald House
Attack type
Bombing, mass murder
WeaponsNitroglycerin bomb
Deaths3
Injured33
VictimsElizabeth Suzie Choo
Juliet Koh
Mohammed Yasin bin Kesit
PerpetratorsIndonesian Marine Corps
AssailantsHarun Thohir
Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali
Gani bin Arup
No. of participants
3
MotiveOpposition to the formation of Malaysia, terrorism
AccusedHarun Thohir
Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali
VerdictDeath
ConvictionsGuilty
ChargesMurder (×3)

The MacDonald House bombing was a sabotage attack on the MacDonald House building in Orchard Road, Singapore, on 10 March 1965, just a few months before Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia. The nitroglycerin bomb was planted by Indonesian saboteurs during the period of heightened Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, also known as the Konfrontasi. The explosion killed three people and injured at least 33 others. At the time, the building was used by HSBC.[1][2]

During this period, Indonesia openly opposed the formation of Malaysia, perceiving in its view that it was merely a neo-colonial state, especially for the British.[1] Indonesian saboteurs mounted a campaign of terror in Singapore, then a major state and city within Malaysia. There were a total of 37 bombings from 1963 to 1966. They were trained to attack military installations and public utilities. However, when the saboteurs failed in their attempts to attack these installations that were heavily guarded, they set off bombs indiscriminately to create panic and disrupt life in Singapore as well as in Malaysia.

By 1964, bomb explosions became frequent. To help the police and army defend Singapore from these attacks, a volunteer force was set up. More than 10,000 people signed up as volunteers. Community Centers served as bases for the volunteers to patrol their neighbourhoods. In schools, students underwent bomb drills. The government also warned Singaporeans not to handle any suspicious-looking parcels in the buildings or along streets. Despite the efforts of the British, small groups of saboteurs managed to infiltrate the island and plant bombs. By March 1965, a total of 29 bombs had been set off in Singapore.


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  1. ^ a b Singapore, National Library Board. "MacDonald House bomb explosion | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  2. ^ Jackie Sam; Philip Khoo; Cheong Yip Seng; Abul Fazil; Roderick Pestana; Gabriel Lee (11 March 1965). "Terror Bomb kills 2 Girls at Bank" (reprint). The Straits Times.