SEGAMAT: The king of fruits is adding a distinctly local flavour to the Johor election campaign, with durian making appearances at ceramah and community events across the state.
For 44-year-old local resident Shelah Nadarajan, it was the first time she had been treated to durian at a political ceramah in Jementah.
“I came with my friends to listen to the speeches and I was surprised that durian was served. It made the evening even more enjoyable,” she said.
Another visitor, M. Mano, 35, said: “I came for the ceramah but getting to enjoy durian was a pleasant surprise.”
“It’s the season now and it was nice to see everyone enjoying our king of fruits together,” he said.
They were among some 1,000 people who were present at the Barisan Nasional ceramah, where some 300kg of durian were prepared for the crowd.
The event was also attended by Johor caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Barisan’s Jementah candidate See Ann Giap.
Durian were also seen at other campaigning-related events, where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim joined residents for a Jom! Makan Durian session in Segamat after launching the Madani Kita programme.
Hundreds of people turned up for the gathering, many making a beeline for the durian.
Johor’s durian season usually starts in June.
Over in Yong Peng, durians also made an appearance at a Pakatan Harapan ceramah for its candidate Yong Hui Yi.
Local traders had sponsored durian for those who turned up.
One of the speakers that night was Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin, who spoke about Johor’s contribution to the country’s durian industry.
“Johor contributes more than one-third of Malaysia’s durian cultivation area and production, making it one of the country’s most important agricultural states,” he said.
Citing Agriculture Department figures, he said Johor accounts for more than 33% of the country’s durian cultivation and production.
Many people still assume Pahang is Malaysia’s largest durian-producing state, he added.
Meanwhile, in Johor Baru, about 300 people showed up for a durian fest with Barisan’s Puteri Wangsa candidate Teow Chia Ling at Flat Pelangi Indah.
“About 1.1 tonnes of fresh durians, including Musang King, D101 and Red Prawn, were sponsored by our supporters.
“Malaysians love durian, so we decided to share the king of fruits with them and I took the opportunity to chat with them,” she said.
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