The anniversary of Singapore's invasion during World War II by Japanese forces was attended for the first time by Japan with a message that "horrors of war must not be repeated again".
The 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore marked the first time former allied nations such as Singapore, Australia, the UK and India worked together with Japan.
The event was held inthe spirit of reconciliation at Kranji War Cemetery of here yesterday.
The ceremony also honoured the sacrifices of military personnel who fought in Malaya and Singapore during the war and subsequent Japanese Occupation, as well as civilians who had lost their lives.
Among the 700 people present at the ceremony were members of the Singapore Armed Forces' Veterans League, war veterans or former civilian internees and overseas WWII veteran associations such as the Malayan Volunteers Group and Australia's 2/10th Field Regiment Association.
"This commitment to remember the horrors of war and to defend Singapore is at the core of Total Defence," said the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs Indian-origin Vikram Nair.
"It is when every Singaporean is resolved to play their part, and contribute to keeping Singapore strong on all fronts, that we can be confident of safeguarding our nation and our home against different threats and challenges that come our way," Nair said.
Japanese Ambassador to Singapore Kenji Shinoda said it was always painful for him and the Japanese people to look back and think about what happened in Singapore 75 years ago.
"I express my feelings of profound grief and heartfelt condolences. I believe that such feelings are shared by the overwhelming majority of Japanese," said Shinoda, who also laid a wreath at the ceremony.
"I bow my head deeply before the souls of all those who perished and fell victims to the battles and hardships here 75 years ago. We must never repeat the horrors of war again," he added.
Members of the Japanese community also laid paper cranes folded by students of The Japanese School Singapore.
The cranes symbolise the wish to heal the wounds of war, and continue on the road of reconciliation.
A commemorative plaque for the anniversary was also unveiled by Commissioner of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Lieutenant General William Rollo.
This will be eventually be mounted inside the Battlebox on Fort Canning Hill of Singapore - the former underground command centre of the Malaya Command during the war, and the place where the decision to surrender was made in 1942.
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