Crowning of durian a thorny issue amid Indonesia, Malaysia claims over fruit
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A trader arranging durians to sell in Kampung Kedai Buluh in Malaysia in June 2024.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
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PETALING JAYA – While every Malaysian may agree that durian, the king of fruits, is synonymous with Malaysia, the Indonesians are saying no.
They insist that they have a stronger claim to the durian, creating a thorny issue in Malaysia’s bid to make it the country’s national fruit
On Nov 18, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan disagreed with Malaysia’s proposal, citing Indonesia’s larger production as justification.
“Indonesia produced almost two million tonnes of durian in 2024. That is far above Malaysia. With this fact, I believe durian is Indonesia’s national fruit,” he said, as reported by CNBC Indonesia.
Mr Zulkifli highlighted data from the BPS institute showing Indonesia’s durian output reached 1.96 million tonnes in 2024 – the highest in five years – with major production hubs across Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
“By contrast, Malaysia’s production is lower, although the export value has increased thanks to premium varieties such as Musang King,” he added.
On Nov 10, The Star reported that the Durian Manufacturer Association (DMA) had asked the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to recognise durian as Malaysia’s national fruit and to declare July 7 as National Durian Day.
The Musang King’s geographical indication status, issued by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia, was recently renewed for another 10 years until March 2034, reaffirming it as a protected national product and preventing other countries from claiming or using the name.
Agriculture Department director-general Nor Sam Alwi confirmed that the department had received the DMA’s application on Sept 8.
Datuk Nor Sam said no official declaration had been made on either naming durian as the national fruit or establishing National Durian Day.
DMA president Eric Chan said the proposal was about recognising Malaysia’s unique connection to the fruit, not asserting ownership.
“Durian has long been an integral part of Malaysia’s cultural heritage, agricultural landscape and global identity.
“Our proposal celebrates a fruit that has shaped our communities, supported our farmers and contributed significantly to our agri-export economy.”
Mr Chan noted Malaysia’s global reputation for premium varieties such as Musang King and Black Thorn.
“Formalising the durian as our national fruit will strengthen branding, improve farmer livelihoods and enhance Malaysia’s position globally,” he added.
Mr Chan stressed that Malaysia respected Indonesia’s position.
“Both Malaysia and Indonesia share deep cultural and historical ties with durian – it thrives across our region,” he said.
“Making it Malaysia’s national fruit does not diminish Indonesia’s right to do the same,” Mr Chan said.
“We want to highlight Malaysia’s strengths and encourage regional cooperation, especially since South-east Asia is the heartland of durian,” he said, acknowledging Indonesia’s larger land resources and higher production volume.
“National symbols are chosen for their cultural significance, historical roots and global association. Malaysia has built a strong international reputation for premium, high-quality durians, with a distinctive presence worldwide.” THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
