A Haze by Any Other Name...

A Malaysian journalist cursed with a foggy memory should stay off the smog story, because he/she might forget today's government warning that TV stations could be gagged for reporting negatively on forest-fire smoke. Schools and airports may be closed and visibility reduced to 165 feet, but Information Minister Mohammed Rahmat has expressly forbidden the use of the word "haze" to describe the cloud. Malaysian scribes who turn to their Microsoft Word thesaurus for help will find the most apposite alternative for "haze" is one Minister Rahmat should recognize: befuddlement.