MacDonald House bombing

MacDonald House bombing
Part of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
MacDonald House in 2018
Location	Singapore[a]
Coordinates	1°17′57.11″N 103°50′45.73″E / 1.2991972°N 103.8460361°E / 1.2991972; 103.8460361
Date	10 March 1965; 59 years ago (1965-03-10) 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
Accused	Harun Thohir Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali
Verdict	Death
Convictions	Guilty
Charges	Murder (×3)

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History of Singapore
Early history (pre-1819) Srivijaya 650–1377 Temasek, Long Ya Men, Ban Zu c.14th century Kingdom of Singapura 1299–1398 Malacca Sultanate 1400–1511 Johor Sultanate 1528-1819
British colonial era (1819–1942) Founding 1819–1826 Straits Settlements 1826–1867 Crown colony 1867–1942
Japanese Occupation (1942–1945) Fall of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942
Post-war period (1945–1962) First Legislative Council 1948–1951 Maria Hertogh riots 1950 Second Legislative Council 1951–1955 Anti-National Service Riots 1954
Internal self-government (1955–1963) Hock Lee bus riots 1955 Pulau Senang prison riots 1963
Merger with Malaysia (1963–1965) Singaporean referendum 1962 Operation Coldstore 1963 Race riots in Singapore 1964 MacDonald House bombing 1965
Republic of Singapore (1965–present) ASEAN Declaration (ASEAN) 1967 1969 race riots of Singapore 1969 Singaporean haze crisis 1972–present Laju incident 1974 Operation Spectrum 1987 1997 Asian financial crisis 1997 Embassies attack plot 2001 SARS outbreak 2003 H1N1 pandemic 2009-2010 Little India riot 2013 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit 2018 Coronavirus pandemic 2020–present
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Events
Malaysia Bill Cobbold Commission  • 18-point agreement  • 20-point agreement Singaporean referendum Sarawak communist insurgency Piracy in the Sulu and Celebes Seas  • Cross border attacks in Sabah  • Moro conflict Brunei revolt  • North Borneo Federation Konfrontasi Manila Accord Maphilindo Sarawak Self-governance Malaysia Act 1963 North Borneo Self-governance Proclamation of Malaysia Operation Claret 1964 race riots in Singapore MacDonald House bombing PAP–UMNO relations Proclamation of Singapore UN Security Council Resolution 213 Singapore Agreement South Thailand insurgency Double Six Tragedy Pedra Branca dispute 2019 failed constitutional amendment 2021 constitutional amendment
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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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