SINGAPORE - World War II veterans, families of those who died during the Japanese occupation of Singapore and religious leaders on Monday (Feb 15) attended a scaled-down memorial ceremony, as a free electronic book was launched to detail the sacrifices of those during the tumultuous years.
At the War Memorial Park in Beach Road, about 50 attendees split into two zones observed a minute of silence and laid wreaths in a small ceremony that in previous years saw up to 1,000 participants.
Monday marked the 79th anniversary of the British surrender to the Japanese in 1942 and was also Total Defence Day.
The event was the 54th commemoration service since 1967, when the memorial was unveiled by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.