Overview
- The US embassy in Kuala Lumpur shared a 2016 International Space Station image showing lightning over Malaysia, captioned, “Malaysia, you’ve never looked more electric.”
- The post clarified that bright bursts were lightning rather than city lights and was published on Facebook and Instagram.
- Malaysians flooded the comments with self-mocking lines such as “we don’t have oil, only palm oil” and jokes about living in trees or relying on bonfires.
- Some users referenced US actions and rhetoric toward Venezuela and Greenland, asking, “Are we the next Venezuela?” and urging Washington to look elsewhere.
- Others questioned surveillance motives behind sharing a satellite-style image, though coverage reported no diplomatic fallout beyond the online exchanges.