MacDonald House bombing

MacDonald House bombing
Part of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
MacDonald House in 2018
Location	Singapore [a]
Coordinates	1°17′57.11″N103°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
No. of participants	2
Motive	Opposition to the formation of Malaysia, terrorism
Accused	Harun Thohir Usman bin Haji Muhammad Ali
Verdict	Death
Convictions	Guilty
Charges	Murder (×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 Harun Thohir and Usman Haji Muhammad Ali during a 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.

Attack

The two Indonesian saboteurs, Harun Said and Osman bin Haji Mohamed Ali had arrived in Singapore from Java at 11:00 a.m., wearing civilian clothes. They had been instructed to bomb an electric power house but instead headed to MacDonald House. ^[3] The 10 March 1965 bombing of the MacDonald House was the most serious of bombings that have occurred in Singapore, when a bomb exploded at 3:07pm at the 10-story building.

The bomb killed three people; two women who were employees of HSBC, Elizabeth Suzie Choo, ^[4] 36, a secretary and Juliet Koh, ^[5] 23, a clerk. The third victim, Mohammed Yasin bin Kesit, 45, a driver and father of eight children, slipped into a coma after the blast, and later died. Thirty-three other people were injured. At the time of the bombing, the building had also housed the Australian High Commission and the Japanese Consulate, ^{[2] [6]} and was located just 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) from the Istana, now the official residence of the President of Singapore. ^[6]

Arrests and sentencing

Within four days, Singaporean police arrested two marines, Harun Said (then 21) and Osman bin Haji Mohamed Ali (then 23) for the bombing. The two saboteurs were unable to escape due to their motorboat breakdown. ^[7] Later examination of the building showed that about 9 to 11 kilograms (20 to 24 lb) of nitroglycerine explosives were used for the bomb.

As they were in civilian clothes and had targeted a civilian building, the two men were tried in Singapore for the murder of the three people who died in the blast. They were convicted and hanged in Changi Prison on 17 October 1968. ^{[6] [8] [9]}

Aftermath

Effects on Indonesia–Singapore bilateral relations

The plaque on the front of MacDonald House, Singapore, commemorating the 1965 bombing

Singapore would gain independence and leave Malaysia on 9 August 1965, just five months after the bombing. In March 1967, the then-President of Indonesia, Sukarno, who had initiated the Konfrontasi, resigned from the presidency under pressure by Indonesian military general Suharto amidst the 30 September Movement. A clemency plea by Suharto, who assumed the position of President, was rejected. The Singapore Embassy in Jakarta was ransacked on the day of the saboteurs' hanging.

Bilateral relations between Singapore and Indonesia would remain tense during the next few years after the bombing. Bilateral relations would improve after 1973, when the then-Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, in a visit to Indonesia, visited the graves of the two marines and scattered flowers on them, ^[10] followed by Suharto's visit to Singapore in 1974. ^[11]

Warship-naming controversy

In 2014, Indonesia named a Bung Tomo-class corvette warship as KRI Usman-Harun, after the two hanged commandos, worsening bilateral ties between Indonesia and Singapore. ^[12] In response, Singapore cancelled a series of planned inter-military activities and banned the warship from its ports and naval bases ^[13] and also withdrew its delegation from an international defence meeting, after two Indonesian men at the event were seen dressed in uniform.

General Moeldoko, Indonesia's military chief, apologised for the naming of the ship, which was accepted by Singapore in a statement by Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. ^{[14] [15] [16] [17]} Moeldoko however later clarified that the naming of the ship was irreversible. ^{[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]}

Memorial

On 10 March 2015, 50 years after the bombing, a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Konfrontasi as well as soldiers who died during that period, was unveiled at Dhoby Ghaut Green, situated across MacDonald House. It was built at the recommendation of the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans League (SAFVL) with the objective as a remembrance of the victims, as well as to educate younger generations about the tragedy. The unveiling was officiated by then-Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, as "a lasting reminder of the victims of Konfrontasi, and those who risked their lives defending our country". Religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Organisation also prayed at the site, before laying a wreath on the monument. ^{[23] [24]}

See also

• Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
• Capital punishment in Singapore
• Usman Haji Muhammad Ali
• Harun Thohir

References

Notes

1. Singapore during the time of the bombing was then a state within Malaysia.

References

1. 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 .
3. "MacDonald House Bombing". www.roots.sg. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
4. "Bomb Explosion at Macdonald House in Orchard Road [ …".
5. "Bomb Explosion at Macdonald House in Orchard Road [ …".
6. MacDonald House attack still strikes home in S'pore, The Jakarta Post , 13 February 2014
7. "TNI AL: Gani bin Arup Sudah Meninggal Dunia, Jejaknya Misterius". detiknews. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
8. Sudarmanto, J. B. (2007). Jejak-jejak pahlawan : perekat kesatuan bangsa Indonesia (rev. 2nd ed.). Jakarta: Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia. pp. 162, 164. ISBN   9789797597160. OCLC   200180907.
9. Singapore from Settlement to Nation Pre-1819 to 1971 (6th ed.). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Education. pp. 196–197.
10. Boey, David (8 February 2014). "KRI Usman Harun not welcome in Singapore waters". Straits Times .
11. Konfrontasi: Why It Still Matters to Singapore, Daniel Wei Boon Chua, RSIS Commentary, No. 054 – 16 March 2015, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
12. Cheney-Peters, Scott (19 February 2014). "Troubled Waters: Indonesia's Growing Maritime Disputes". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
13. Jaipragas, Bhavan. "Singapore bans disputed Indonesian navy ship". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
14. Singapore Accepts Indonesian Apology for Ship's Name, The Wall Street Journal , April 16, 2014
15. "Singapore accepts Indonesia apology over warship row - ASEAN/East Asia | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
16. "Channel News Asia: Indonesian Armed Forces Chief expresses regret over naming of warship". www.mfa.gov.sg. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
17. "Singapura Terima Permintaan Maaf Moeldoko, Nama KRI Usman Harun Tak Diganti" (in Indonesian). 17 April 2014.
18. "No apology for ship naming, says Indonesian army chief". www.todayonline.com. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
19. Kwara, Michelle (18 April 2014). "Indonesia's armed forces chief says "no apology" for warship's name". Yahoo! Singapore. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
20. antaranews.com. "Moeldoko bantah minta maaf soal KRI Usman Harun – ANTARA News". Antara News (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 November 2017.
21. "Panglima TNI bantah minta maaf ke Singapura". BBC Indonesia. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
22. "TNI chief clarifies apology, Channel News Asia, 19 April 2014". Gmane.org. 19 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
23. "Memorial for Konfrontasi victims, heroes unveiled". ChannelNewsAsia. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
24. Lim, Yan Liang. "Memorial to victims of Konfrontasi unveiled". AsiaOne . Retrieved 11 March 2015.

Bibliography

• Brazil, David. Insider's Singapore. Singapore: Times Books International, 2001.