"The King of Fruit" Down Under

The strong smell of durians filled the air as 1,250 Malaysians in Australia devoured the 'King of Fruits' at a Durian Fiesta on Tuesday.

A consignment of D24 and Musang King durians was flown in by the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) at the request of the Malaysian Consulate-General.

The fiesta, which was held at the SP Setia Bhd's Parque grounds in picturesque St Kilda Road here, was also attended by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

"For Malaysians, durian is more than just a fruit, it is our national delicacy," he said.

Anifah, who was delighted to see such a large number of Malaysians enjoying themselves at the fiesta, also thanked the Australian Government for granting market access for Malaysian agricultural produce such as durians to Australia.

Other Malaysian delights, including teh tarik, roti jala, roti canai and satay, were also served at the event.

The Malaysian Consul General Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya also expressed hope that the fiesta would be made an annual event.