Image of Malaysia's national palace falsely shared as Brunei's Istana Nurul Iman
- Published on April 14, 2025 at 10:57
- 2 min read
- By Raevathi SUPRAMANIAM, AFP Malaysia
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"The Sultan of Brunei is known for his immense wealth and extravagant lifestyle," reads a Facebook post on April 4, 2025. "His home, Istana Nurul Iman, is the largest residential palace on the planet, spanning 2.1 million square feet."
The post goes on to list the number of bedrooms in the palace, its amenities, the ruler's luxury cars and information about his private jet.
Similar claims were shared elsewhere on Facebook and on Instagram. It also spread in Nigeria and Cambodia.
However, the image features the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur, indicating it shows Malaysia's national palace (archived here and here).
The Istana Negara is the official residence of the Malaysian king, selected from among nine Malay rulers every five years under the country's rotating constitutional monarchy system (archived here and here).
The image shared online corresponds to an AFP photo of the national palace, where the yellow dome can be seen.
Google Maps satellite imagery also shows the same structures in the palace compound as those in the circulating picture.
Though Brunei's Istana Nurul Iman -- which is more than 1,470 kilometres (913 miles) away -- has a similar golden dome, it is located by the Damuan River and has a main building with a sloped roof (archived here and here).
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