Fall of Singapore service 15th Feb 2011

Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) held the 44th memorial service on the 15 February 2011 in commemoration of civilians victims of Japanese occupation during the World War Two. The annual event aims to remind the country's younger generation never to forget the tragedy in which a large number of civilians were ruthlessly slaughtered during the dark days of the Japanese occupation and to make young Singaporeans clearly aware of the hardness to earn peace and the importance to establish total defense. The memorial ceremony was attended by more than 1,200 people, including Singapore Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen, representatives from government organs, uniformed services, diplomatic corps, business associations, religious organizations, schools as well as veterans and families of the victims. Wreaths were laid on behalf respectively of the SCCCI, the Singapore Army Forces Veterans' League, the ten major religious organizations, National Cadet Corps', and the students representatives in Singapore to console the spirits of the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation and all participants observed one-minute silence and took three bows in front of the memorial monument. Before the beginning of the service, the Singapore Civil Defence Force sounded the "All Clear" signal through its public warning system to commemorate the fall of Singapore to the Japanese during World War Two. The SCCCI has fixed Feb. 15 every year for a memorial service in commemoration of the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation. On Feb. 15, 1942, Japanese captured Singapore and occupied it for three and half years. According to incomplete statistics, at least 50,000 Singaporeans were slaughtered. On Feb. 15, 1967, memorial monument was built and memorial service was held each year ever since. Source: Xinhua