DURIAN holds a special place in Malaysian culture as the “King of Fruits,” celebrated for its distinctive aroma and flavour so much so that it has become a symbol of national pride.
So, it’s no surprise that Malaysians were taken aback when a Facebook page mistakenly identified durian as Singapore’s national fruit.
In a recent post titled ‘National Fruits of Countries in Southeast Asia,’ shared by ASEAN Skyline on August 17, a poster claimed to list the national fruits of eight Southeast Asian countries.
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Among them, the poster included durian as the national fruit for Indonesia, Malaysia and, unexpectedly, Singapore.
Here’s the complete list of national fruits according to the poster:
Malaysia: Durian or Papaya
Myanmar: Cucumber Tree (Averrhoa Bilimbi)
Thailand: Mangosteen
Vietnam: Dragon Fruit
Indonesia: Durian
Singapore: Durian
Philippines: Mango
Cambodia: Chicken Egg Banana
The inclusion of Singapore alongside Malaysia and Indonesia as countries where durian is considered a national fruit sparked a wave of mockery from Malaysians.
Many took to social media to question the accuracy of the poster, with some humorously wondering if the fruit might have grown on Singapore’s rooftops.
“Singapore grows durian under the sea,” one user called Dietfit Kch commented humorously.
“The best durians from Singapore comes from Segamat, Pagoh and Raub. Not far from Woodlands MRT station,” Loh Jin Tiam wrote.
Lokey Woon commented: “Where Singapore grow the durian? Botanic garden or Jurong bird park?”
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