8 Malaysian Memes That Were Trending & Went Viral In 2017

As Malaysians, we are a funny bunch when it comes to creating Malaysian memes about trending stories in our countries.

While we had the Pokemon Go craze and the runaway ostrich named Chickaboo in 2016, there were no shortage of hilarious memes this year. Although some got out of hand and became controversial, it was still interesting to see other creative Photoshop work on the internet.

Let’s take a look some of the crazy memes that were retweeted, liked, and shared on Facebook over the past 12 months:

1. Raja Bomoh & his infamous coconuts

Ibrahim Mat Zin, otherwise known as Malaysia’s “Raja Bomoh Sedunia” made headlines again in March. Armed with coconuts, 5 pairs of sticks (used as binoculars), 5 bamboo cannons, a carpet, and a bowl of seawater, he claimed that he was protecting Malaysia from a North Korean nuclear attack. He later apologised for his bizarre rituals and confessed it was all for publicity.

2. Watsons’ racist blackface advert

When Watsons Malaysia released a 15-minute video titled “Legenda Cun Raya”, many slammed the company for being racist and insensitive by equating dark skin to being ugly. Following the backlash from the public, the advert was removed and a public apology was issued by Watsons.

3. The rude slipper lady

When a fierce woman went ballistic after being confronted over stealing a parking spot, netizens wasted no time in turning her vulgar actions into a meme. She was photoshopped into a series of “Fast and Furious” movie posters. Some even upgraded the rude woman into a Shell mineral water lady. To top it all off, she was even called the new “Unhappy Polla”.

Speaking of the Shell mineral water lady…

4. “Gadis Air Mineral”

Nor Shafila Khairusalleh didn’t think things would go too far when she was featured as Shell’s “Gadis Air Mineral”. Men were seen doing inappropriate acts (such as placing their hand on her chest area, kissing her, etc) to her pop-up posters. Due to the “harassment” as seen from disrespectful photos, the standee was removed the following month.

5. Dato’ Seri Vida’s viral hit single

“I am fun. I am pretty. I am beautiful. I’m a queen. I’m Inspire. Your Desire. I’m a diva. Living La Vida.”

Whether you think that she’s a joke or the real deal, you can’t deny Dato’ Seri Vida (DVS)’s popularity on social media this year. Not satisfied with just the cosmetics millionaire title, DVS released her single “I Am Me”, which became viral online.

6. Annabelle paid Rapid KL commuters a visit

In conjunction with the released of “Annabelle: Creation” this year, Rapid KL enlisted the help of Annabelle. The purpose of this cheeky public awareness campaign was to generate civic awareness among the public when using the trains. Were you spooked when you saw Annabelle? Lol ;)

7. Eating Nasi Lemak with chopsticks

PappaRich Australia drew a lot of attention when they introduced their signature nasi lemak. Many people were felt the photos of 2 people eating the beloved local dish were insensitive and even offensive. In response to the viral post, myBurgerLab posted a funny meme of a person eating the Nasi Lemak burger with a pair of chopsticks. Anyone up for the challenge?

8. Random Facebook events

Did you spot someone attempting to “scream like Goku or splash like a Magikarp” in public? Although they may look like crazy people, they were actually participating in random Facebook events that encouraged like-minded individuals to meet up and be weird together.