Durian can be a cultural experience, says Mat Sabu in urgin hotels to embrace the 'King of Fruits'
The Agriculture and Food Security Minister said such initiatives are not merely about marketing but represent a celebration of Malaysia's rich culinary heritage.
'I hope more hotels in the country will take the initiative to allow durians to be brought in and enjoyed in a regulated setting by guests, as a way to support and elevate our local fruit.
'This is more than a promotional strategy — it's a cultural celebration that turns a hotel into a destination that showcases the very identity of Malaysia. Europeans and Arabs may not eat raw durian, but they do enjoy durian-based products — so if not the fruit itself, we can offer them durian ice cream,' he said at the Durian Championship 2025: World Edition at Bangi Golf Resort 2025 on Friday (July 11).
'We hope to see more strategic partnerships between orchard owners, hotels, and tourism operators to elevate Malaysia on the global stage,' he added.
At the event, Bangi Resort Hotel was recognised by the Asean Book of Records as the First Durian-Friendly Hotel and Resort in the region - allowing guests to savour durian within its premises, providing a dedicated and comfortable area for the experience.
Mohamad said while durian is widely known as the 'King of Fruits', it is now increasingly seen as a 'king in business' as well. According to a 2024 report by Mordor Intelligence, the global fresh durian market is expected to reach US$10.78bil (RM45.28bil) by 2025 and grow to US$16.89bil (RM70.94 bil) by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4%.
He said China continues to be the main driver of this trend, accounting for over 90% of durian imports in the Asia-Pacific region.
On June 19, 2024, Malaysia achieved a breakthrough when the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry signed the Phytosanitary Requirements Protocol for Exporting Fresh Durian to China.
This agreement opened the door for Malaysian fresh durian to enter the Chinese market. Previously, Malaysia had access only for durian pulp and paste (since 2011), and whole frozen durian (since 2018).
The expanded access to fresh fruit is expected to boost the local durian industry and increase agri-food export earnings.
Between 2018 and 2022, Malaysia's durian exports grew by 256.3%, rising by RM822.8mil. In 2022 alone, durian exports reached RM1.14bil.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
42 minutes ago
- The Star
New Manila International Airport positions Philippines for long-term growth
MANILA: A brighter chapter is set to open for Philippine aviation. With the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) now under development in Bulakan, Bulacan, the country is building on the momentum of aviation reforms and infrastructure upgrades—setting the stage for stronger economic growth, improved connectivity and a better travel experience for millions. Designed to be one of the most modern airports in the world, NMIA is expected to offer more efficient movement of passengers and cargo, complement the ongoing rehabilitation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and support a new wave of regional development. The development of NMIA is led by San Miguel Aerocity Inc., through a 50-year concession agreement with the national government. The first phase is scheduled to begin construction in January 2026. This will include two runways, a modern terminal, and key facilities designed to serve up to 35 million passengers annually, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. NMIA is being built to work alongside NAIA, which is now undergoing a P170.6-billion (US$3.02 billion) upgrade to improve its capacity and passenger experience. Once the rehabilitation is done, NAIA will be able to handle up to 62 million passengers a year and manage 48 flights per hour. With both airports operating, the country will have a stronger, more reliable aviation system that can keep up with growing travel demand. With the new airport located only 18 km from SM North Edsa and 15 km from Balintawak, it's almost part of Metro Manila. Good transportation access is a big part of NMIA's design. New roads and terminals will connect the airport to Metro Manila and nearby provinces. A six-lane highway will link it to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), and a transport terminal will be built to serve provincial buses and other types of public transportation. There are also proposals to extend the MRT-7 line—currently under construction between Quezon City and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan—so that it could eventually connect to the NMIA site. If approved, this extension would make it easier for travelers from northern Metro Manila and nearby areas to reach the airport. For now, the plan remains under review and has not yet been finalised. NMIA is expected to do more than enhance air travel—it will also contribute to economic growth and the development of surrounding areas. The project is projected to generate over one million jobs and pave the way for an airport city with dedicated spaces for businesses, residential communities, and industrial facilities. This bigger plan highlights how the airport can help guide how land is used, bring in new investments and make the country more competitive in tourism and trade. As more roads and facilities are built, and travel becomes easier, businesses in different industries—such as logistics, hotels, real estate and manufacturing—are likely to look at Bulacan and nearby areas for new opportunities. For years, the country's aviation system has carried growing demand with very limited capacity. NAIA, which for decades has been the lone international gateway for Metro Manila, is now being upgraded to meet higher standards and improve service. The addition of NMIA—designed with modern facilities, future-ready technologies and world-class design—marks a turning point in how the Philippines is seen by the world. It's a major step toward restoring confidence, improving the traveler experience and presenting the Philippines as a premier destination in the region. Recognising how these major infrastructure changes influence property values, development prospects and long term investment strategies will be essential for those looking to take part in this rapidly evolving growth corridor. As the country builds toward a more connected future, the New Manila International Airport will play a central role in driving local progress and shaping the next wave of regional development. NMIA is not just a new dot on the map—it's the Philippines' runway for growth to take off. It will propel Bulacan into a prime growth area of Metro Manila, while ushering in business to nearby provinces. Large scale investors will be drawn in with its world-class connectivity, fuelling growth in years to come. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
The Star
42 minutes ago
- The Star
Brazil and China to study South American transcontinental railway project
Brazil and China agreed on Monday to study the feasibility of a transcontinental railway that could reshape South America's trade routes by connecting Brazil's Atlantic Ocean coast to Peru's Pacific Ocean port of Chancay. The memorandum of understanding was signed between Infra S.A., the Brazilian state-owned company linked to the Ministry of Transport, and the China Railway Economic and Planning Research Institute, part of China State Railway Group. The plan outlines a railway of about 4,500 kilometres (roughly 2,800 miles), running from Ilhéus in the northern Brazilian state of Bahia to Rio Branco in the northwestern state of Acre, before crossing the Andes towards the Peruvian coast. Some estimates put the cost of proposed project at upwards of US$70 billion. If built, the corridor could shorten shipping times to Asia by as much as 12 days compared with current Atlantic routes that pass through the Panama Canal. For now, however, the agreement is only for technical, environmental and economic studies, expected to last for up to five years. The signing follows months of increased contact between Brasília and Beijing over the matter. In April, a Chinese delegation visited the Fico and Fiol railway lines in Brazil, which are expected to form key parts of the planned corridor. The team also toured the Port of Santos, Latin America's busiest port, which is expanding with Chinese investment. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government considers access to the Pacific essential for strengthening ties with Asia and boosting agricultural and mineral exports. The idea of linking Brazil to the Pacific by rail is not new. A similar project was first discussed over a decade ago but was shelved amid questions about cost, technical obstacles and environmental impact. The announcement comes as unease in Washington rises over China's growing economic influence in the western hemisphere. In November, shortly after US President Donald Trump's re-election victory, Mauricio Claver-Carone, now his special adviser on Latin American affairs, called for tariffs of up to 60 per cent on any company using Peru's Chancay port for trade with China. Claver-Carone said the tariff would not only discourage general use of the port but also help prevent its use for transshipment – routing goods through other countries so they can be re-exported and enter their final market facing lower tariffs. The so-called Fico and Fiol lines, to be operated under public–private partnerships, now form the backbone of Brazil's railway expansion and would be central to the new route. For China, the railway would help unlock the potential of the Chancay megaport near Lima, built with Belt and Road Initiative funding at a cost of around US$3.5 billion. Inaugurated in November, the port is expected to become a major link for South American trade with Asia. Analysts say that without a direct connection to Brazil, its role as a regional hub would be limited. In Peru, however, the news of the agreement triggered unease. Leolino Dourado, a researcher at the Centre for China and Asia-Pacific Studies in Lima, noted that some Lima officials were unsettled because Peru was not formally involved in the signing, despite the project passing through its territory. Local media described it as a violation of Peru's sovereignty. Even so, Dourado noted that Peruvian ministries have held talks with Brazilian and Chinese officials this year and that the absence of the foreign ministry may have contributed to misunderstandings. 'There were discussions at the technical level, but the lack of coordination within Peru created the impression that the country was left out,' he said. Dourado said he thought the economic case for the project was shaky, arguing that the long overland distance from Brazil to Chancay made rail freight more costly than shipping goods directly through Atlantic ports. In his view, any savings from a shorter sea leg to Asia would be outweighed by the higher expense of moving cargo by land. He noted studies that had raised similar doubts, including a 2015 International Union of Railways report that found little financial sense in building such a link. Dourado said that signs were few that conditions had improved since then. He also said that any viable route would likely cross environmentally protected areas or indigenous territories, which could lead to legal disputes and complex negotiations. Altering conservation laws to make way for tracks, he warned, would be far from straightforward. Without solid economic grounds and guaranteed funding, he added, there was a real risk the railway could remain little more than a grand vision. 'Crossing the Andes involves tunnels and bridges that push costs higher. Previous estimates put the northern route at about US$72 billion. If the line follows the southern option to reduce the environmental impact by using the existing Pacific Highway corridor, the cost jumps to nearly US$100 billion,' he said. Despite the doubts and tensions, Brazil and China expressed hope that the studies would clarify whether the plan could move from the drawing board to reality, linking South America's vast interior more directly to booming markets across the Pacific. 'This partnership is a fruit of wisdom and mutual trust, and will contribute to the dynamism and development of transport in our countries,' Wang Jie, general director of China State Railway Group, said in a statement. The Brazilian government also said that the project would, once completed, strengthen its agenda for regional integration and sustainable infrastructure. 'Brazil is ready to lead a new era of logistics infrastructure. And this leadership role will be exercised with a sense of responsibility, high-quality engineering, solid partnerships and future-oriented tracks,' Leonardo Ribeiro, Brazil's secretary of rail transport, said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
43 minutes ago
- The Star
Hong Kong's famous dim sum Metropol Restaurant to close in September as HKUST buys the space
A restaurant known for serving dim sum from traditional trolleys will close at the end of September after the venue was acquired by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) for HK$354.4 million (US$45 million). In a reply to the Post, HKUST confirmed on Tuesday that it recently reached an agreement to purchase a property at United Centre in Admiralty for teaching purposes. Records showed the location was the fourth floor, which had been occupied by Metropol Restaurant for more than three decades. 'The university's School of Business and Management has always been setting up teaching facilities in business centres in the urban areas to facilitate classes and interaction for its students and staff,' a university spokesman said. He added the university would use such spaces for other activities to support its long-term development and foster student growth. Records show that Hong Kong Ping Jeng Lau, which operated the Metropol Restaurant and other eateries, had owned the property since 1989. A restaurant employee told the Post that the establishment would remain open until September 27, but had not offered any reason for the closure. The restaurant opened in 1990 and is one of three eateries in Hong Kong operated under the Heichinrou Group, a Japanese brand of traditional Chinese restaurants first established in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, in 1884. On the group's website, Metropol Restaurant is described as the brand's premium eatery for dim sum lunches and banquets. It can accommodate 1,200 people, has five private rooms and is available for small parties or banquets of more than 100 tables. The other two restaurants are located in Diamond Hill and Kwun Tong. A notice in Japanese on the business group's website announced the closure of all its restaurants in Japan on May 20, and that the company had filed for bankruptcy the following day. Metropol Restaurant is one of the few dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong that still serves dim sum from trolleys. In an interview with the Post in 2012, Billy Cheong, then senior vice-president and managing director at Heichinrou Group, said he expected that Metropol would be the only restaurant to still use serving trolleys in busy areas such as Central and Admiralty in the future. He said the rent would be too high for any other restaurant to keep the practice going, as it required operators to hire additional staff and incur extra costs. The restaurant's looming shutdown is the latest in a recent string of closures in the city's catering sector. The 36-year-old Super Star Seafood Restaurant abruptly shut down its last remaining branch last week. Bakery chain Taipan Bread & Cakes, which invented 'snow skin' mooncakes, closed all of its branches last month after 41 years in business. In May, 33-year-old congee restaurant chain Ocean Empire Food Shop also shut all its outlets. Among the reasons cited by some of the eateries were high rents, shifting spending patterns among locals, who often crossed the border for leisure, and declining consumption by visiting mainland Chinese tourists following the Covid-19 pandemic. Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the situation had not improved in the catering industry as customers had become more cautious about spending money. 'Traditional Chinese restaurants encounter different challenges. The younger generation doesn't want to dine there,' he said. 'It's hard for the traditional restaurants to make changes; operators have to change their mindset and have to invest a lot to make changes. These restaurants are facing a lot of competition, and it is not easy to recruit new blood.' Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, managing director of Vincorn Consulting and Appraisal, said it was difficult to find people who were willing to take over such restaurants as operating expenditures were high, including rent and the cost of ingredients and labour. 'Especially when the vacancy rate of commercial buildings is relatively high, if someone is willing to take over the property under such circumstances, it will be easier for the owner,' he said. Cheung said he believed there was a strong demand for facilities operated by tertiary institutions in urban areas as the government was promoting the 'study in Hong Kong' campaign to turn the city into an international education hub. He observed that some university campuses were in remote areas and they could be on the lookout for convenient locations to set up satellite centres for part-time students and those enrolled in external programmes. 'Having centres in the city centre can cater to their needs and provide accessibility for students to attend classes after work or on holidays,' he said. He added some educational institutions had been setting up satellite offices in the urban areas, citing the example of City University's acquisition of spaces in a Tsim Sha Tsui shopping centre. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
