PUBLISHED ONJuly 05, 2026 11:00 PMBYSean LerChances are you may have seen a video circulating on social media, showing a Threads user holding up what appears to be a Singapore passport while refuelling his car with Ron95 petrol.
The video, first posted on Threads by user BlackSpice, has received about 1 million views since it was posted on June 30.
Its caption was deliberately inflammatory: "How to piss off Malaysians as a Singaporean. Step one. Steal their oil."
In the video, the motorist is seen holding up what appears to be a Singapore passport against a Ron95 petrol nozzle inserted into a car at a Caltex petrol station in Malaysia.
He then shows that some 23.6 litres of Ron95 had been purchased at a cost of RM60 (S$19.03).
Given that Ron95 is heavily subsidised by the Malaysian government, the video has naturally sparked criticism from netizens on both sides of the Causeway.
Some Malaysian media outlets, and one from Singapore, were quick to report on the incident.
However, the video clearly shows that the price per litre is RM2.54, which was the price of unsubsidised Ron95 for the week of January 22 to 28 this year.
For the week of June 25 to 30, the price of unsubsidised Ron95 petrol, as tracked by AsiaOne, was RM3.47.
The law, which bans foreign-registered vehicles from buying Ron95 petrol, came into effect on April 1.
Sharp-eyed netizens have also noticed that the car rim seen in the video belongs to a Perodua Alza.
While there is a Singapore distributor for the Malaysian brand, the model is not known to be offered here.
According to the Land Transport Authority, there are only 445 Perodua cars registered in Singapore, with just 6 new registrations last year.
This means that the motorist could have rented a vehicle in Malaysia.
Foreigners and permanent residents without MyKad are allowed to buy unsubsidised Ron95 petrol in Malaysia if they use locally registered vehicles.
While there may not be any malicious intent in this episode, beyond an individual's attempt at fame, it again illustrates the ease of deception on social media.
@asiaone Some media outlets, along with social media users, were deceived as they did not pay attention to the finer details. The point? Don't be riled up first. #sgnews #Singapore #Malaysia #Fake #Petrol ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
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