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McLaren Formula One posted a photograph of Batu Caves on their social media channels this week, promoting the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit.
The image was striking, but the backlash was immediate.
The reason McLaren chose Batu Caves over the Petronas Twin Towers — the landmark the critics apparently wanted — was that Petronas sponsors Mercedes-AMG, McLaren’s direct competitor on the grid.
Using the Twin Towers would have promoted a rival team’s title sponsor.
The photograph featured the Śrī Subramaniar Swamy Devasthanam temple at Batu Caves — a 400-million-year-old limestone formation in Selangor, one of Malaysia’s most visited heritage and tourism sites.
McLaren posted it as part of promotional content for the race weekend.
Other teams — Aston Martin and Audi among them — posted similar content from Bukit Bintang and surrounding areas.
The images circulated widely, and international fans responded positively.
“Is This Calcutta?” — The Comment Was About a Temple in Selangor
Some locals expressed anger that a Hindu religious landmark was chosen to represent Malaysia on an international platform.
Comments included the phrase “Is this Calcutta?” — a remark directed at a temple located in Selangor, Malaysia.
Calcutta, officially renamed Kolkata in 2001, is the capital and largest city of India’s West Bengal state.
Others stated variants of “this does not represent Malaysia” and called for imagery reflecting Malay and Islamic identity instead.
Some stated variants of “this does not represent Malaysia” and called for imagery reflecting Malay and Islamic identity instead.
The remarks were posted beneath a page with 5.1 million followers.
The counter-response from other Malaysian users was immediate and heavy, describing the comments as an embarrassment to the country on an international stage.
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The Clause Nobody Mentioned
Petronas — the national petroleum company whose Twin Towers logo is among the most recognised skyline images in Southeast Asia — is the title sponsor of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
McLaren and Mercedes are direct competitors.
McLaren’s social media team selecting the Petronas Twin Towers as the face of their Malaysian promotional content would have placed a competitor’s title sponsor at the centre of their own campaign.
The constraint was commercial, not cultural.
Batu Caves was not a compromise; under the circumstances, it was the logical choice.
Another current ran through the comment sections.
Multiple users noted that McLaren, Aston Martin, and Audi had produced more visually compelling and culturally representative content of Malaysia in three days than recent official tourism campaigns.
Several comments referenced the government’s reported use of AI-generated imagery in promotional materials as a point of comparison.
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READ MORE: Sepang Said No Big Cameras At The F1, Then Some Gates Let Them In Anyway
READ MORE: [Watch] Train To Busan At Sepang: Bahrain Planned For 37,000, Malaysia Sent 100,000
READ MORE: Malaysians Test Their Fortitude As Queues To Get Into Sepang Begin
READ MORE: You Cannot Watch F1 From The Roadside At Sepang, PMX Said Watch RTM Instead
READ MORE: F1 Teams Are Promoting Malaysia Better Than Malaysia, According To Malaysians
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McLaren Posted Batu Caves and Some Malaysians Asked If They Meant Calcutta
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