MacDonald House bombing
Encyclopedia
The MacDonald House bombing occurred on 10 March 1965, at the then Hongkong and Shanghai Bank
building (now known as MacDonald House
) along Orchard Road
of Singapore
. The time bomb was planted by a duo of Indonesia
n saboteurs, during the period of Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (also known as Konfrontasi). The explosion killed two people and injured at least 33 others.
With the start of the Konfrontasi in 1962, the Indonesian Government (led by Sukarno
) openly opposed the formation of Malaysia. The Indonesian military, under orders from Sukarno, began to insert saboteurs into both Singapore and Malaysia with the intent of stirring up racial tensions while at the same time undertaking acts of sabotage to destroy vital installations, beginning on 24 September 1963. Later, these saboteurs resorted to exploding bombs indiscriminately to create public alarm and panic. The bombing of the MacDonald House was the 29th, and the most serious of the spat of bombings in Singapore, killing 2 bank employees; Mrs. Suzie Choo (aged 36), private secretary to the Bank Manager, and Miss Juliet Goh (aged 23), a filing clerk in the bank.
Singapore's Special Branch
officers and police
managed to tracked down and apprehended the two Indonesian commandos, Harun Said and Osman Hj Mohd Ali, who were members of the Indonesian Marine Corps. Subsequently, they were tried and convicted in a Singapore court, both were executed by hanging on 17 October 1968.
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
building (now known as MacDonald House
MacDonald House
The MacDonald House is a historic building in Singapore, and is located at Orchard Road in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district...
) along Orchard Road
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is a road in Singapore that is the retail and entertainment hub of the city-state. It is regularly frequented by the local population as well as being a major tourist attraction...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The time bomb was planted by a duo of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n saboteurs, during the period of Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (also known as Konfrontasi). The explosion killed two people and injured at least 33 others.
With the start of the Konfrontasi in 1962, the Indonesian Government (led by Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
) openly opposed the formation of Malaysia. The Indonesian military, under orders from Sukarno, began to insert saboteurs into both Singapore and Malaysia with the intent of stirring up racial tensions while at the same time undertaking acts of sabotage to destroy vital installations, beginning on 24 September 1963. Later, these saboteurs resorted to exploding bombs indiscriminately to create public alarm and panic. The bombing of the MacDonald House was the 29th, and the most serious of the spat of bombings in Singapore, killing 2 bank employees; Mrs. Suzie Choo (aged 36), private secretary to the Bank Manager, and Miss Juliet Goh (aged 23), a filing clerk in the bank.
Singapore's Special Branch
Internal Security Department
The Internal Security Department is a domestic intelligence agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore. It was formerly part of the Ministry of Interior and Defence until it was split on 11 August 1970...
officers and police
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
managed to tracked down and apprehended the two Indonesian commandos, Harun Said and Osman Hj Mohd Ali, who were members of the Indonesian Marine Corps. Subsequently, they were tried and convicted in a Singapore court, both were executed by hanging on 17 October 1968.