11/01/2013

Why Anonymous Collective hacked into ST Online site?

The Anonymous Collective, better known as The Messiah, has hacked into the ST Online site early yesterday morning. They gave the reason for the hacking as a reaction to a reporter by the name of Irene Tham for putting up a misleading article on them. This is what the Anonymous Collective said.
 

'Greetings Irene Tham & Straitstimes.com,
 

I am The Messiah from the Anonymous Collective. We are a decentralized non-violent resistance movement, which seeks to restore the rule of law and fight back against the organized criminal class. We oppose any form of internet censorship among other things.
 

Allow me to explain our intrusion.
 

Earlier today upon discovering the existence of a Youtube video of ours (click here), a straitstimes correspondent by the name of Irene Tham chose to publicize an article distorting our words and intentions (click here). She chose to conveniently modify the sentence “war against the Singapore Government” into “war against Singapore”.
That in our opinion can be very misleading and unfortunately we suspect that must have been her intentions. Look what she made us do!
 

Irene Tham, since you had the ignorant nerve of invading our world (the internet) to speak blasphemous lies, then we took it upon ourselves to invade your tiny little space to voice our issues over a few matter. We sincerely hope you wont mind…. '
 

We can see the switch in the objective from opposing internet censorship to this reporter. The point here is that the ST reporter is being accused to misleading the public by changing the words and thus the content and intent of Anonymous Collective. The AC said that their actions were targeted at the Singapore govt while the reporter changed it attacking Singapore. The difference is quite significant.
 

Did the reporter misinterpret what the AC wrote or was the change intentional? Did the paper double check to make sure what the reported was factually correct? I leave this to the readers to make their own judgment. What follows is that the AC is demanding an apology from the reporter to the citizens of Singapore within 48 hours, failing which she has to resign from ST ‘…for trying to mislead them with her hate.’ The AC added, ‘in the event our demands are not met in the next 48 hours, we will place you in our “to do” list and next time you wont be let off this easy.’
 

I am not sure what is this ‘to do’ list but it sounds like a KIV until a next time something like this happens again. What is interesting to note is that you have a virtual body making threats and warnings of actions against an institution like the ST and of course the govt of Singapore. This is the first of its kind to happen. The audacity is stunning. It is a case of I can hit you but you can’t do anything to me. Sound familiar?
 

It is interesting to see how ST reacts to this warning and challenge. Would ST simply ignore it as something from the wilderness? Or would it take this threat seriously and Irene Tham would make an apology or be dismissed? How would this go? Would a virtual body from virtual space have the clout to do this to an established big organization like the ST? This is a big change in the nature of things, the natural order of things.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

"It is a case of I can hit you but you can’t do anything to me. Sound familiar? "

You mean like;
I can send you to National Service but you can't do anything to me?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

WOW! In a way I'm glad the hackers CLARIFIED their objective.

Although I don't encourage website destruction, the ST deserved the slap lah for sloppy reporting.

I still can't agree with this act of hacktivism. This is a group of obviously highly motivated, though perhaps slightly disturbed individuals.

I am no fan of Sun Ho, Kong Hee or the CHC. I think religion is made up of the most bat-shit insane ideas ever to emanate from the mind of humankind, but I do not think that gives anyone the right to violate the rights and property of those crazy people who embrace crazy ideas.

No lah. This "Messiah" is no messiah. They are not doing a "social good". They are only making a not-perfect-but-tolerable situation WORSE.

Anonymous said...


Should ST just reject and ignore this threat totally with a bottle of champagne?

Anonymous said...

"...a virtual body making threats and warnings of actions against an institution like the ST and of course the govt of Singapore."
RB

What's the use, Messiah, virtual body, ghost or whatever?

Only a political party which can contest 100% seats in a General Election is a real threat and warning of action to the govt, I mean the PAP govt. Because 60% will respect and vote for it.

Anonymous said...

If I were PM Lee, I not even scared of ghosts, let alone Messiah.

I only really scared when WP Low Thia Khiang announce his party is ready to be govt.

Anonymous said...

The Battle has begun.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Pee Am Lee is already to senile or stupid to be scared?
Maybe he thinks we are all going to "stand up" for Singapore in exchange for peanuts.

Anonymous said...

Messiah versus the Emperor ? Anyone bet who win ? LOL

how the hell one of the world's richest country in the world that spend so much money on security and yet can get hacked ?

Anonymous said...


Anonymous 2.06 pm .......

you asked "Messiah versus the Emperor ? Anyone bet who win ?"......

you already provided the answer ......

you said the emperor is very rich but yet kena hacked....

at this stage the score is:

MESSIAH 1 : 0 emperor

cheers.........

Anonymous said...

Defiance only invites action.

Resistance is futile.

Anonymous said...

"at this stage the score is:

MESSIAH 1 : 0 emperor"

ou think the emperor can be outsmarted ? Before the hack the emperor already score 1 , why ? because the security cost are borne by taxpayer's money, pay so much and yet and security is still so bad. but emperor still happy because not using his money anyway. Why do you think ST is goverment's mouthpiece ? So now it is drawn.

b said...

This 'messiah' got guts. I hope this person or group of persons is operating outside spore.

b said...

btw, are all the ministers on holidays again? how come no comments from them?

Anonymous said...

Ministers do not response to "noise" and "cowboy country".
Waiting for Mr Know All Kee Chiu to say something to show how stupid he is. Or Tan Chuan Jin, the cry baby.

Anonymous said...

The Annonymous Collective is fighting with the PAP gahmen.
They are not fighting with Singaporeans.
PAP gahmen die is their business.
I die is my business.

If we don't want Annonymous Collective to attack our government websites.
Then we must vote in an Opposition government.
Annonymous Collective is not against our Opposition parties tio bo?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous is gonna start some fireworks on 5th November, Guy Fawkes Day. PAP can watch from Parliament and enjoy. Hehe.

Anonymous said...

A spokesman for SPH said that it “stands by its reports and reporters” and added “we have filed a police report on the incident, and the police are investigating the matter”.

Is this an issue of standing by your reporter or an issue of misreporting? If there is misreporting, is it so wrong or so right not to admit and correct the error, instead refused to apologise?

If there is a wrong committed, still want to protect the wrong?