S'pore healthcare site hacked over haze

SINGAPORE--Eu Yan Sang's Web site was hacked this morning by a hacker, who expressed his displeasure over blame put on Indonesia for the haze that engulfed the city-state this past week. 

According to a report on local daily Today, a hacker who named himself "bambu" defaced the Web site with an image of a skull and left a statement in Bahasa Indonesian which, when translated, read: "Do not insult our country just because of somke in the air in your country. You should not just blame Indonesia for the polluted air. Blame the wind, and who told the wind to blow to your country."

Eu Yan Sang is a Singapore-based retail chain selling traditional Chinese medicinal and healthcare products such as bird's nest, ginseng, and cordyceps. It has outlets in other Asian markets including China, Hong Kong, Australia, and Malaysia, and is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.

The company's Web site has since recovered. 

Bambu's statement also included claims the hacking attack was "supported" by Indonesia's J.A.M.5 team. According to the Today report, bambu's hacking spree also included studymusicinlondon.com and ineltronics.com, which remains defaced at the time this story was posted. In Bahasa Indonesian, bambu refers to the bamboo plant. 

The annual haze situation in Singapore, caused by forest fires in Indonesia, took a turn for the worse last week when it hit a record-high Pollutant Standards Index of 401, way past the hazardous level of 300. Amid growing frustration over the worsening air quality, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono--who is responsible for his country's efforts in responding to the haze crisis--rebuked Singapore for "behaving like a child". 

Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono later apologized for the haze, which also affected Malaysia, and noted some statements from his officeholders were unnecessary.