A thorny affair over Malaysia’s national fruit

If we have a national fruit, many believe that it should be none other than our thorny, irreplaceable durian. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

JUST do a Google search on the national fruit of Malaysia, and you will find results saying it is the papaya.

Shocked? At least that is how many feel, as most Malaysians tend to believe it is our much loved durian.

However, that is also wrong. Here is the truth:

“Malaysia has never declared any local fruit as our national fruit,” Agriculture Department director-general Datuk Mohd Nasir Warris tells Sunday Star.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

He was commenting on previous online posts and websites saying that papaya is the national fruit of Malaysia.

Since we will be celebrating Merdeka Day on Tuesday and Malaysia Day soon after, the time is ripe to clear the fruity air.

While we don’t officially have a national fruit, Mohd Nasir says the department believes we should, and it should be none other than our thorny, irreplaceable durian.

He feels it could be treated similarly to other national symbols like the Malayan tiger and the hibiscus.

“We believe that such a national fruit should have a status like the ‘king of fruits’ here.

“This means that whenever this fruit is ready for harvesting, Malaysians in general across the country, regardless of their race, culture and economic status, would be passionately looking forward to savouring it.

“Generally speaking, the fruit with such a character is the durian,” Mohd Nasir says.

With its many varieties in Malaysia, he points out that the most popular is the D197 variant, otherwise known as Musang King.

Durian is also the number one fruit produced in Malaysia as at last year, with 390,635 tonnes harvested, followed by pineapple at 323,420 tonnes and bananas at 313,811 tonnes.

The department has yet to take any action to formally establish durian as our national fruit but if it does, such a proposal must first be brought to the Cabinet for approval before it can be presented to the King for his decision.

Mohd Nasir hopes the public will view the agricultural sector as a field that can provide job opportunities for anyone.

“It is no longer deemed a career for the poor or those who are not highly educated.

“It’s a business that can generate high returns for entrepreneurs and also contribute to the nation’s gross domestic product,” he says.

Mohd Nasir urges farmers to place importance on food security as they have a role to play in feeding the nation.

“Malaysians should realise that the agricultural sector is one of the most important industries contributing to national prosperity and safety,” he says.

He believes the public should be equipped with basic skills in agriculture so that they will be able to plant their own crops, like vegetables some of which can be harvested in about 25 days.

“These skills and knowledge will come in handy now during the pandemic or in the event of natural disasters,” he adds.

The department has introduced an urban farming programme to encourage Malaysians to plant their own crops at an individual or community level to reduce their cost of living.

“This programme can also promote social interaction within the community, across different backgrounds, to produce food either for their own consumption or to be sold.

“Such efforts, even if seen as small, can have a huge impact on reducing the amount of agricultural products we import,” Mohd Nasir says.

He adds that he wishes all Malaysians a happy Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day.