Malaysian cartoonist CW Kee has been delighting readers with his Kee's World comic strips in The Star since 1981, frequently using durians as a satirical backdrop to depict daily Malaysian life. A former editorial artist, Kee famously introduced the weekly strip It's a Durian Life in 1985.
Here's a selection of durian-themed cartoons:
My stomach is riding the "durian tsunami" and for sure, I am happily wiping out on every creamy, bittersweet bite! 😋😋😋
For sure, the durian is dangerously addictive. It's beyond divine. And don't let its tough exterior fool you: durian pairs an unmatched flavour with incredible health benefits.
In fact, I came across an AsiaOne report on June 30 that dietitians at Singapore's Changi General Hospital certify that durian has good monounsaturated fats, otherwise known as "good" fats, that can help lower harmful cholesterol levels and moderate high blood pressure.
And the principal dietitian at Raffles Medical Group affirms that these can help reduce risks of heart disease and stroke.
Durian brings other health benefits which include improving muscle strength and skin health, regulating bowel movements, supporting the nervous and immune systems, and enhancing red blood cell formation as it is rich in potassium, dietary fibre, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B complex.
The fruit belonging to the genus Durio also has polyphenols such as flavonoids and carotenoids – anti-oxidative compounds that may help decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, contends dietitians from Mount Alvernia Hospital.
Even more interesting, the claim that eating durians can put you in a great mood is not unfounded.
"During digestion, tryptophan gets converted into serotonin, which may induce feelings of relaxation and improved mood", a doctor at Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre explains. "Tryptophan is also converted to melatonin, a hormone that controls your sleep cycle and may help you fall asleep easier".
You should know that I explored this natural mood booster in Chapter 15, "The Happy Hormones", of my public speaking book, "The Pearls of Your Speech" (2025). It's a social chemical that "makes you feel good about yourself, stoking confidence and spurring self-esteem, and nurturing a sense of common bond that stems from status, respect, and loyalty" (page 157).
Therefore, eating durian absolutely makes sense for a public speaker like me! 😁😁😁
This is a classic example of supply and demand: when the market is suddenly flooded with a massive oversupply of the fruit, prices crash. Premium durians like Musang King are now a steal.
And aficionados are gleefully raiding local fruit shops and roadside tents, to take advantage of the durian frenzy and snatch up bespoke flavors at up to 90% off normal prices.
A bumper harvest and a glut of export rejects have caused premium Musang King prices to crash from RM90 to just RM9 a kilo, according to a New Straits Times report on June 24, 2026.
The same NST report has even claimed that cheaper varieties were sold in bulk at RM100 for a basket of seven fruits.
It's time to feast on durians! 😋😋😋
Jasin police chief Lee Robert said the robbery took place at about 11:30 AM on June 27 at a durian orchard in Anjung Gapam, Bemban, where the two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were looking after the durian harvest. He said the suspects, who arrived in a car, loaded four large baskets of “IOI” durians into their vehicle before one of the teenagers confronted them.
“One of the suspects became aggressive and brandished a machete to intimidate the teenager, while another made off with a motorcycle belonging to the father of one of the victims before they fled”, he said the following day.
Lee said acting on intelligence, a team from the Jasin police arrested four men, aged between 27 and 35, in separate raids between 12:30 AM and 7:30 AM on the same day in Bertam Hulu, Kampung Paya Rumput, Masjid Tanah and Jasin.
“Two of the suspects admitted their involvement in the incident, while another was positively identified by one of the victims as the person who stole the motorcycle”, he added.
He highlighted that three of the suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, while checks also revealed they had criminal records.
However, police were unable to recover the stolen durians.
In fact, Paraguay President Santiago Peña signed a decree declaring the following day, a national holiday to commemorate the victory against Die Mannschaft (The Team).
The match had ended in a 1-1 tie after extra time, and then, La Albirroja (The White and Red) stunned the four-time world champions 4-3 on penalties.
And Oranje (The Orange) lost 2-3 on penalties to Morocco after also being tied 1-1 after extra time.
In the meantime, Brazil avoided a major upset by coming from behind to defeat Japan 2-1, also on Monday. A dramatic 95th-minute winner secured the Seleção (The Selection/Squad) a spot in the last 16. I'm glad too the Samurai Blue lost!
🤗🤗🤗
On Wednesday, I boarded the KTM ETS train to Taiping, Perak – claimed to be Malaysia's first modern town – to attend the Taiping Toastmasters Club meeting that evening.
I also participated in Table Topics, the signature impromptu speaking session.
And we successfully moved 6 TDIYS and 5 TPOYS.
It is here in Taiping that we hit the 1,600 sales with respect to the Diamond book!👏👏👏
Special thanks to Aileen Oon and Taiping Toastmasters for having us at their last meeting of the 2025-26 term.
We returned to home base the following day. On our way back, we stopped at Changkat Jering for what else but durian!
A local media report on Thursday revealed the pungent problem: durian flavouring was accidentally used in place of melon flavouring. Reports of an unpleasant smell, which some customers described as “sewer-like”, had quickly spread online, prompting a surge in refund and exchange requests as many shared similar experiences. The distributor confirmed that around 20,000 buns were removed from circulation following the reports.
According to Channel A, the odour was not caused by spoilage, but a manufacturing mix-up. At the production facility, durian flavoring was mistakenly used in place of melon due to a labelling error.
While durian is widely consumed across parts of Asia and often referred to as the “king of fruits”, it is not commonly eaten in South Korea, and many unsophisticated consumers are unfamiliar with its smell or flavour. In Korean social media and user complaints, the durian smell was specifically likened to "weird poop" or a pungent, lingering chemical, with some describing it as a "toilet" smell.
The distributor added that all affected products have been fully recalled and replaced with correctly manufactured items, now back on sale.
Okay, maybe that's because I love durian and can't have enough of it!
FYI, the actual flavour is best described as mild. I had wished for a stronger durian aftertaste but it was not to be!
Malaysia's Zoo Taiping and Night Safari, located at Jalan Pekeliling, Taman Tasik Taiping in Taiping, Perak are recognized for their successful species propagation programs, naturalistic habitats, and commitment to wildlife conservation and biological continuity.
And in the latter half of last year, there was a surge in new animal births, highlighting ZTNS captive breeding achievements. Among the notable births were a Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), three agile wallabies (Macropus agilis), three milky storks (Mycteria cinerea), two Bawean deer (Axis kuhlii), two chital (Axis axis), and a sambar deer (Cervus unicolor).
During the same period, 16 milky storks also hatched naturally in habitats outside the zoo's exhibition areas. Taiping Municipal Council president Mohamed Akmal Dahalan said the total population of milky storks at the zoo – including those in enclosures and free-ranging outside – now stands at 106 birds.
He said the achievement reflected the high standard of animal care and habitat management at the facility.
"The successful births of several species within a relatively short period show that the environment and care provided at the zoo are conducive to wildlife breeding. This is an encouraging development as it contributes to conservation efforts, particularly for species that are threatened and require continuous protection", he said in a March 11 statement.
In a related development, the zoo also contributed two sambar deer and three wild boars to the Deer Release Programme for the Conservation of the Malayan Tiger's Food Source, held at Royal Belum State Park on February 11.
The programme marked a first-time collaboration between the Taiping Municipal Council, the Perak state government, the Perak State Parks Corporation, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Yayasan Sultan Idris Shah II.
Akmal said the initiative aims to strengthen prey populations in forest ecosystems, ensuring a sustainable food source for the endangered Malayan tiger.
"This initiative demonstrates that Zoo Taiping and Night Safari (are) not only a recreational and educational destination but also an active conservation institution supporting efforts to protect the nation's biodiversity", he added.
In Malaysia’s Penang state, this means durian trees are anticipated to fruit sooner than usual, fueling expectations of an earlier harvest with higher-quality yields.
With a 25 metre wingspan and 16.35 metre length, the large aircraft has the capacity to carry 100 small drones, which it can launch while airborne.
Its 7,000 kilometre range and 15,000 meter operational altitude, the aircraft was designed to launch drone swarms far from Chinese waters, with the drones carried launching from high in the air allowing them to reach targets further away. This endurance places targets across East Asia within targeting range, and raises the possibility that it could be used for strikes as far as Guam, a central hub of US military operations in the region.
The aircraft’s capabilities are expected to prove to be highly complementary to those of China’s growing blue water navy, its vast arsenal of long range ballistic and cruise missiles, and its fighter fleet which is increasingly able to operate in the far seas due to improved ranges and greater aerial refuelling support.
The possibility of several Jiu Tian aircraft being deployed to complement missile attacks on adversary carrier groups, for example, would complicate air defence efforts, and allow attack drones to be deployed from multiple unexpected directions, for which determining the point of launch may prove more challenging.
Its development has occurred at a time when China has demonstrated increasingly distinct global leadership in unmanned aviation, and as a fast growing number of unmanned long range aircraft able to support power projection are also entering flight testing stages or being brought into active service. Other examples include the GJ-11 unmanned stealth bomber, the CH-7 unmanned high altitude stealth reconnaissance aircraft, and an unnamed intercontinental range stealth aircraft which is expected to serve as a strategic bomber.
I didn't know this but according to VnExpress International, Malaysia imported $2.6 million worth of durian from Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2025, five times higher than the previous year, despite itself being a major producer of the fruit.
It was the fastest growing market for Vietnamese durian but only accounted for a tiny share of exports, according to customs data.
The second largest increase was seen in exports to Hong Kong, whose purchases doubled to $47 million.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said Malaysia usually imports Vietnamese durian to make up for a shortfall outside May-August, its main harvest period, while Hong Kong does not grow the fruit.
During the eleven months, exports from Vietnam rose 17% year-on-year to $3.65 billion, with the bulk of it obviously going to China.
