Netizens’ interest spikes as Malaysian durian seller turns up the heat

A Malaysian durian seller has become a social media sensation after videos of his buffed body on display as he hawked the thorny fruit shirtless went viral.

In several videos uploaded on his Tiktok account, Mr Amir Syarifuddin Suhaimi is seen manning his durian stall in the Malaysian east coast state of Terengganu clad only in a pair of pants and cap, wearing slippers and a pair of sunglasses.

His stall is located near the Kuala Terengganu drawbridge, about 2.7km from the state capital of Kuala Terengganu.

One video that featured him surrounded by his durians has garnered over 600,000 views and more than 22,000 likes. Another video of him selling customers the Musang King variety had over 244,000 views.

Many claimed they suddenly craved durians after watching the videos while some attributed his scanty clothing to the current heatwave.

“The temperature in Malaysia has reached 40 deg C... It is normal if he doesn’t wear a shirt (because it is) hot,” wrote a commenter “mama tasha”.

However, there were some who said he should cover up.

“While you are running your business, you should also take care of your aurat,” wrote “Sha”, referring to the parts of the body required to be clothed in Islam.

Mr Amir, 34, remains unperturbed by the attention.

“I just ignore the negative comments while I thank those for their positive comments and support,” he told The Straits Times.

He said it was not unusual for durian traders in Terengganu’s famous Pasar Payang to go shirtless, pointing out that it was the norm decades ago.

“So I am bringing back the nostalgia by doing so now,” he added.

Despite his newfound fame, Mr Amir claimed his durian business, which operates from Thursday to Sunday at 5pm to midnight, has not spiked.

On average, he earns about RM1,000 to RM1,500 (S$293 to S$440) a day selling Musang King, D24 and IOI varieties, said the single father of three children aged between nine and five.

His main job is helping in his family business of selling keropok lekor (fried fish sticks), which started after Malaysia lifted its Covid-19 restrictions in June 2021.

Before the pandemic, Mr Amir worked as a personal trainer in Kuala Lumpur and has won several bodybuilding competitions.

He said he has maintained his buff frame by having a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which also does not contain sugar, oil and salt.

On top of that, he trains at the gym four to five times a week.