If you are still wondering why Singapore looks like a scene in the horror film - Silent Hill now, it is because of the haze. In Southeast Asia, particularly in the months between May and October annually, haze has become a serious and recurring problem due to forest fires. These fires are caused mainly by land clearing and “slash and burn” agricultural practices in Indonesia, particularly Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Singapore has experienced similar haze, the worst prior to the current one was in 1997, when the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) index peaked at 226.
Photo Courtesy from The Straits Times
I know, I know, no one likes the haze. Every piece of clothing, every item and every place smells like burnt otah (spicy fish cake), even my university orientation to Sentosa got cancelled because of the haze, which scores the highest in the PSI on that day itself. Now, instead of whining and complaining about how slow the governments from both sides are resolving the haze issue, it is time to be more resilent. Oh, regarding the more political matter, despite the what-seemed-to-be "unapologetic" Indonesia ministers, I am sure that our government is working on it, they are not magician that could make rain clouds appear to wash down the haze.
