Singapore marks independence with heightened securitySINGAPORE: Singapore Tuesday celebrated its 51st anniversary as a republic with a heavily guarded parade after the discovery of an Indonesian extremist plot to attack the city-state. “If a terrorist attack were to occur here, will we stand together, or will we fall apart?” he told his multiracial nation. The area around the National Stadium, where the military-civilian celebration took place, was designated a special zone where police had stop and search powers. Singapore has been on heightened alert since Indonesian police arrested six suspected Islamic militants last week in nearby Batam island over an alleged plot to fire rockets into Singapore. Following independence from Britain, Singapore became part of the newly formed nation of Malaysia in 1963.

Source: Manila Times August 09, 2016 13:18 UTC