Thousands enjoy free durians at Malaysia’s Penang fruit festival

Up to 1,800 kilograms of durians were served to visitors during the event, which featured 50 farmers and vendors in George Town, on Sunday, The Star reported.

Among the visitors were 82-year-old V. Pahpah and her 14-year-old granddaughter, M. Tanushri, who relished the opportunity to sample various durians at no cost.

Durians submitted for the Sungai Ara Durian King Competition in Penang, Malaysia on June 8, 2025. Photo courtesy of Facebook/Exploring Penang

"If you were to buy hybrid or premium durians elsewhere, the price would easily exceed MYR30 (US$7) per fruit," Pahpah said.

Loh Jing Ting, 25, and Lim Ying Ying, 23, also expressed their excitement about enjoying free durians.

"It’s not every day that we can feast like this," Loh said.

Lim added that despite the long queue, the experience was well worth it.

Head judge Lim Keat Seong emphasized that the perfect size, based on the durian variety, along with pulp texture and a harmonious blend of sweetness and bold richness, were critical in the judging.

Lim, a state Agriculture Department officer, highlighted that durians from certain regions carry a distinctive after-taste, significantly influencing their overall quality and judging.

Judges grade durians at the competition. Photo courtesy of Facebook/Exploring Penang

The event included three categories: Musang King, kampung, and hybrid.

Winners in each category’s top three spots earned MYR1,000, MYR600, and MYR300, respectively.

Kenny Soong, a 48-year-old durian entrepreneur, won first in the kampung category, expressing surprise at his victory.

"There were so many other premium kampung durians in the competition; I am lucky and happy to win this," he said.

Yap Lan Eng, 57, secured first in the Musang King category, surpassing her second-place finish from the previous year’s event.

"I use organic fertilizer and I tend the durian trees with great care to get fruits of the highest quality," she explained.

Yap, a durian farmer for over 25 years, noted that her winning durian came from her family’s 5-hectare orchards.

Lee Chooi Seng, 65, took the top spot in the hybrid category with his "Cheh Pui" (Hokkien for green skin) clone.

"There were many competitors and I had no expectations of winning," he stated.

Lee attributed his success to high-quality organic fertiliser used in his 200-tree orchard in Bukit Sungai Ara.

This was the third year of the Sungai Ara Durian King Competition, which was held to promote local durians.

The Sungai Ara area in George Town consists of 607 hectares of durian orchards, primarily managed by small-scale farmers.

Durian is among the top fruit exports of Malaysia. Last year, US$212 million worth of the fruit went to China after the two countries signed a special protocol on durian imports, according to state-owned media Bernama.

Malaysia seeks to boost its durian exports to China by over 20% this year with a focus on preserving the authenticity and brand of the Musang King variety, it added.