--- title: "Indonesian traveller ‘embarrassed’ by haze situation in S’pore: ‘Praying that no one would ask where we’re from’" url: "/trending-now/indonesian-traveller-embarrassed-haze-situation-spore-praying-no-one-would-ask-where-were" published: "2026-10-17T08:39:15.000Z" updated: "2026-10-17T08:47:35.000Z" section: "Trending Now" authors: ["Ethel Tseng"] tags: ["haze","Indonesia","traveller","singapore","embarrassing","taxi driver","TNP News"] --- # Indonesian traveller ‘embarrassed’ by haze situation in S’pore: ‘Praying that no one would ask where we’re from’ *An Indonesian traveller visiting Singapore said she felt “embarrassed and heartbroken” after arriving to find the country shrouded in haze, adding that she was “praying that no one would ask” for her nationality.* An Indonesian traveller visiting Singapore said she felt “embarrassed and heartbroken” after arriving to find the country shrouded in haze, adding that she was “praying that no one would ask” for her nationality. Speaking to Stomp, Valerie Laurencia said she had travelled from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore on Oct 16 for a medical check-up. The 29-year-old entrepreneur shared an Instagram post of her conversation with a Grab driver, who asked where she and her companion were from while coughing. He also hands Laurencia and her companion two disposable masks during the ride, explaining that many people were falling sick as air quality worsened. “I’m also shocked looking at this haze,” a voice behind the camera says. “Singapore is bad. You see the sky? We have not had sun for very long already,” the driver explains, as the man behind the camera apologises in response. The driver also cites the Haze Subsidy Scheme, which caps healthcare costs at $10 for Singaporeans seeking treatment for haze-related conditions at polyclinics. He asks his passengers whether such conditions occur every year, and they explain that previous administrations had often managed to contain the environmental impact of the forest and land fires. However, both agree that the situation is particularly bad this year. ![indonesian traveller embarrassed by haze in singapore](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/fc08cb94ae35d904b46ef71d09391abf73553f366929ca456d1b757debb60f03) ## Traveller reflects on haze conditions in S’pore “I’ve never felt this embarrassed as an Indonesian citizen,” Laurencia writes in the post’s caption, adding that other countries have “fall(en) victim” to the haze. For locals in Kalimantan and surrounding areas, she said that “every breath must be painful and suffocating”. Laurencia also empathised with Singaporeans who felt “frustrated to be hit by such a ridiculous disaster”, describing her shock at witnessing the poor air quality upon arriving in Singapore. “I was just praying that no one would ask where we’re from. It’s so embarrassing and heartbreaking…” Laurencia wrote. Asked how she felt after the interaction with the driver, she extended an apology, though she acknowledged that the haze situation was “not something ordinary Indonesian citizens are responsible for”. “I just hope people won’t blame or bully Indonesian citizens travelling to Singapore or Malaysia because of this. We are all affected by this situation too, and in may ways, we are victims as well,” she added. Hazy conditions persisted in Singapore on the morning of Oct 17, with the 24-hour PSI reading in the “unhealthy” range. At a haze task force press conference on Oct 16, Education Minister Desmond Lee said the Ministry of Education will consider rescheduling O-level papers if the PSI forecast reaches hazardous levels. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has also issued seven companies in Indonesia preventive measure notices under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA), which targets those responsible for causing or condoning fires.