Hackers, believed to be Indonesian, have taken over the website of a Malaysian firm accused of putting up an advertisement deemed demeaning to Indonesian migrant workers.

The firm is accused of using the words ‘Fire Your Indonesian Maid’ for its advertisement to promote a robot vacuum cleaner.

“Please be nice to our sisters. They have family, they have kids. They all need to eat, need to (go to) school, need to live, not like your robot.

“Don’t forget, we Indonesian people will protect them. Your advertisement is not very funny at all. You drop our people’s dignity at your feet. Thank you,” the message said.

The group ‘C*B B*N 2014’ claimed responsibility for the attack, over the controversial advertisement which has escalated into a diplomatic row.

The attack comes after the company, Corvan Technology Sdn Bhd distanced itself from the furor by saying that the bunting was put up by an unauthorised dealer.

Firm denies link to ad

 

It said its company was has nothing to do with the vacuum cleaner ad with the words ‘Fire your Indonesian maid now’ which sparked a diplomatic row , and does not agree with such marketing tactics.

 

"As the sole distributor of Neato Robotics in Malaysia, we are beholden with moral and ethical values, and would not allow such negative advertisement and promotion which would hurt the peoples' feelings."

"Corvan Technology urge customers of Neato BotVac Robotic vacuums to be careful with this illegal distributor," the company said in a statement today.

The Indonesian embassy yesterday said the advertisement was demeaning to all domestic workers from the republic and lodged a police report over the matter.

Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, called the company "insolent (kurang ajar)".

The row coincides with Indonesian president Joko Widowo’s (Jokowi) Feb 5-7 visit to Malaysia, prompting Indonesian migrant workers’ rights NGO Migrant Care to push him to flex his muscles against Malaysia.

"We hope the president’s stern stance on this stigmatisation and discrimination against Indonesian migrant workers through various media including the term ‘Indon’ as a means to ridicule and this inappropriate advertisement," it said in a statement today.