SINGAPORE -- "Don't let the haze faze you!" says the bright-eyed presenter, before going on to list a string of cringe-worthy pickup lines, in the Singapore government's latest video addressing the air pollution that has been shrouding Singapore's skies.
The video tries to take a lighthearted dig at the smog which has been serious enough to shut schools in the country and neighbouring Malaysia.
The presenter, Sarah Hadi Devaraj, who works for the government, according to her LinkedIn page, offers some coping mechanisms as the country continues to struggle with the smog. Some of these are practical (drinking more water), while others are less helpful (take bets on what the pollution standards index reading will be).
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Naturally, many of the comments on the video are from less-than-impressed netizens.
The perennial smog that floats over to Singapore and Malaysia around this time of year has been occurring because of the illegal slash-and-burn method of clearing vegetation that plantation owners in Indonesia still practice. Many of these plantations are palm and pulp, and the Indonesian government has tried to crack down on those behind the burning by suspending firms and arresting their executives.