BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

Singapore e-mail 'bomber' fined

Kendrick Tan swamped a government agency with thousands of e-mails just as the country was bracing itself for the feared millennium bug, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper said.

A court heard how Tan sent the government agency more than 7,500 e-mails in just over two-and-a-half hours last New Year's Eve.

He was fined more than $17,400 for violating the Computer Misuse Act in what is believed to be the island's first court case involving cyber rage.

But Tan escaped a possible jail term of up to three years.

Y2K bug

The messages were sent to three computer servers of the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

The incident occurred as Singapore was preparing itself for the Y2K bug which it was feared could cause computers to crash if they failed to recognise the 2000 date change.

HDB officials, alarmed by the electronic assault, had to block the messages from Tan.

The law penalises people who blitz others with e-mail in an attempt to cause computers to crash.

Tan's lawyer argued that his client, who was newly married, was anxious for action on his application to buy a flat and that all he wanted was to get attention - a plea rejected by the trial judge.