MacDonald House bombing | |
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Part of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation | |
Location | Singapore[a] |
Coordinates | 1°17′57.11″N 103°50′45.73″E / 1.2991972°N 103.8460361°E |
Date | 10 March 1965 3:07 pm (UTC+08:00) |
Target | MacDonald House |
Attack type | Bombing, mass murder |
Weapons | Nitroglycerin bomb |
Deaths | 3 |
Injured | 33 |
Victims | Elizabeth Suzie Choo Juliet Koh Mohammed Yasin bin Kesit |
Perpetrators | Indonesian Marine Corps |
Assailants | Harun Thohir Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali Gani bin Arup |
No. of participants | 3 |
Motive | Opposition to the formation of Malaysia, terrorism |
Accused | Harun Thohir Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali |
Verdict | Death |
Convictions | Guilty |
Charges | Murder (×3) |
History of Singapore |
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Singapore portal |
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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