The U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur recently shared a striking satellite image of Malaysia on social media. It was a throwback photo taken in 2016 from the International Space Station showing dramatic lightning flashes illuminating huge storm clouds above the country. The embassy explained that the bright flashes aren’t city lights but massive lightning strikes inside a thunderstorm system, posting the image with the caption, “Malaysia, you’ve never looked more electric.”
According to The Independent, what was intended as an engaging, apolitical visual post quickly turned into a comedy show on Malaysian social media. Rather than focusing on the meteorological beauty of the storm, many Malaysians leaned into self-deprecating humor, joking that their country was of no strategic interest because it “doesn’t have oil”.
The jokes weren’t entirely random. They were shaped by recent international news, particularly the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and ousting of President Nicolás Maduro earlier in January, coupled with President Donald Trump’s comments about U.S. interests in oil-rich regions. Some Malaysians humorously suggested that Malaysia was too insignificant or lacking in oil to be worth similar attention.
Malaysians turned a stunning photo into oil jokes after Trump’s Venezuela takeover
The most popular Facebook comment wasn’t about the beautiful lightning. Instead, a user wrote directly to Washington: “Please tell your president we don’t have oil ya. We only have Saji cooking oil.” Other users joined in with similar jokes to discourage any US interest. Trump has been making bold moves lately, including his plans to take control of Greenland.
One user joked, “We only have leech and mudskeeper oil..how many barrel you want?” Another wrote, “No oil to see here. Ran out already. Just orang utans and ummm… coconuts. And rice.” The jokes quickly turned into self-deprecating humor about Malaysia being underdeveloped. Users hoped this would make their country less interesting to the US.
Someone else commented, “Those are bonfires we make to cook and dry ourselves. What electricity?” Another user added, “We have nothing. We still live on trees. Lightnings love to strike trees.” These concerns aren’t unfounded, especially after Trump froze billions in federal aid recently.
On Instagram, some users showed real concern alongside the jokes. Several people asked, “Are we the next Venezuela?” One user tried to redirect attention, suggesting, “You can prefer Brunei or Singapore.” While the embassy likely just wanted to share a cool space photo, Malaysians used humor to deal with their worries about possible US intervention.
Published: Jan 14, 2026 04:45 pm