The value of attribute, whose attribute name is not in the attr list, is null. Expected is empty str

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1. open the following url with java console open:
http://sqeweb/jsn/users/fred/deployment_ws/fred/deployment_6_UR_int_ws/deployment/src/plugin/FunctionalTest/FunctionalTest/html/EmptyAttributeTest.html

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Both getAttribute("align") and getAttribute("hello") return empty string
The following strings are printed:
@@@@empty attr returned an empty value
@@@@non existed attr returned an empty value
@@@@test pass
ACTUAL -
On firefox:
getAttribute("align") returned empty string as expected.
getAttribute("hello") returned null.
The following strings are printed in the java console.
@@@@ empty attr returned an empty value
#### non existed attr expected: An empty value. Actual: null
@@@@ test fail
On IE:
getAttribute("align") returned null.
getAttribute("hello") returned null.
The following strings are printed in the java console.
#### empty attr expected: An empty value. Actual: null
#### non existed attr expected: An empty value. Actual: null
@@@@ test fail

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

The applet source code is:
http://sqeweb/jsn/users/fred/deployment_ws/fred/deployment_6_UR_int_ws/deployment/src/plugin/FunctionalTest/FunctionalTest/src/EmptyAttributeTest.java