‘Durian Mustaqim’ is not a new variety of the country’s king of fruits, but it is going viral and has become a household name due to the creativity of a YouTuber, Muhamad Sukri Sulaiman.
Muhamad Sukri, 26, from Kampung Sura Tengah, Dungun, is responsible for triggering this ‘Durian Mustaqim' phenomenon through a series of videos uploaded on social media, such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
He said the act in the video portrayed the current reality about durians, including the high prices buyers are complaining about, problems facing durian growers and price manipulation by middlemen.
“I chose the name ‘Mustaqim’ because it sounds like Musang King. It is catchy and suitable to be used as a brand name to market the video, but the price of the Mustaqim durian, which is RM800 per kilogram, is just a joke.
Muhamad Sukri, who owns Sukri Sulaiman Production, is a household name in Terengganu, having produced various types of creative videos since 2016 and won many competitions.
“I started with only using my smartphone to produce the videos to help entrepreneurs in the Terengganu area to promote their products and services for free.
“Over time, I received many requests, prompting me to also take up courses with some well-known YouTubers on making an income by producing the videos,” he said, adding that he also holds classes for those keen to be YouTubers.
On the challenges he faced while producing the Mustaqim durian videos, Muhamad Sukri said the shooting started in May last year involving 10 in the series, with seven of them done this year. Due to the implementation of the movement control order (MCO), shooting locations were limited to the compound of his home.
"The actors are my close friends and neighbours. We use whatever 'props' are available, and built our own hut in the backyard to create a place and atmosphere like in a durian orchard.
“The dialogue is in the Terengganu dialect. Although it may sound harsh, it is the normal conversation we hear, and for those who do not understand, we have subtitles,” he added.
He said among the lessons conveyed in the video were for traders to not cheat buyers and for the public to understand the hard work of the durian growers in ensuring good quality durians.
Apart from the video on "Durian Mustaqim”, other videos produced by Muhamad Sukri included ‘Suamiku Rock’ which has 6.3 million views on Facebook. – Bernama
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
