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The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is considering whether pineapple or durian should be officially named Malaysia's national fruit
Deputy Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board cited data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia indicating that 80% of respondents support pineapple as the national fruit.
However, he added that durian industry players strongly disagreed, arguing that durian deserves the title, noting it was served to Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Malaysia.
"Therefore, the ministry needs to coordinate this further," Chan told Malaysiakini in a media interview on 9 February.
He added that the ministry is also looking into expanding the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board into a broader body covering pineapple, coconut, and durian to better manage these high-value commercial fruits
He said the move aligns with the government's direction to streamline existing departments rather than create new ones.
"The reason for grouping pineapple and durian (into one organisation) is because they are both high-value commercial fruits," he said, adding that the proposal, first raised in 2023, is still at the cabinet paper preparation stage.
Separately, the ministry is also encouraging players in the durian industry to unite under a single federation to improve coordination
Chan noted that the rapid growth of the local durian sector has led to the formation of many private associations representing growers, importers, and other stakeholders.
"With a central federation, communication between the government and the industry can be more efficient," he said.
