The great durian debate: Singapore's national fruit controversy stuns Malaysians

A recent social media post by their official Facebook account, ASEAN Skyline posted a list of ‘National Fruits of Countries in Southeast Asia’ leading to surprise among Malaysians. - FB: ASEAN Skyline

SHAH ALAM - Malaysians have long held a deep affection for the durian, often referred to as the 'King of Fruits,' with many assuming it to be the national fruit.

However, it appears that durian's claim to national pride is not exclusive to Malaysia.

A recent social media post on Aug 17 by Facebook page Asean Skyline identified durian as Singapore’s national fruit, leaving Malaysians both surprised and amused.

The post also listed durian as the national fruit for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, sparking widespread confusion and debate.

Adding to the surprise was the revelation that Malaysia’s actual national fruit is papaya, a fact that caught many completely off guard.

The post titled ‘National Fruits of Countries in Southeast Asia’ showcased the national fruits of eight Southeast Asian nations.

While Malaysia’s national fruits were listed as durian and papaya, other countries were represented by different tropical favourites: Myanmar’s national fruit is the cucumber tree (Averrhoa Bilimbi), Thailand’s is mangosteen, Vietnam’s is dragon fruit, Indonesia’s is durian, Singapore’s is also durian, the Philippines’ is mango and Cambodia’s is the chicken egg banana.

The social media mix- left many Malaysians scratching their heads, particularly since durian is often viewed as a symbol of national pride.

Some even began joking about how durian could possibly be Singapore's national fruit, given its urban landscape.

Malaysians joked about never seeing a single durian farm or even a durian tree in the city-state, leading to playful remarks about how Singaporeans must be ‘planting durians in their hearts.’

Among the remarks made, @Danial Nizam wondered, “Where does Singapore grow their durian?”

@Hanie Henna humorously suggested, "Singapore grows durians on rooftops. You wouldn’t know, go check it out if you don’t believe me!"

@AsyieQin Latif jokingly asked, "Where does Singapore plant their durian trees—on apartment balconies?"

@Rasyid Sidek commented that "Singapore's durians must be coming from a farm in Raub."

@Nick Hakim joked, "Singapore must be growing durians underwater."

It is worthy to note that Malaysia's tropical climate, abundant rainfall, and fertile soil provide the ideal conditions for cultivating a wide variety of fruits, including rambutan, mangosteen, mango, papaya, durian, starfruit, and duku.