Mat Sabu Says Only Malaysia Has The Right To The ‘Musang King’ Name

Malaysia is standing firm on ownership of one of its most valuable agricultural exports, Musang King durians.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, said the Musang King name belongs solely to Malaysia and cannot be used by other countries. He explained that Musang King is protected under Geographical Indication (GI) registration, meaning only Malaysian-grown durians can legally be sold under that name.

According to him, while durians from other countries may resemble Musang King, the flavour clearly sets the Malaysian variety apart.

Concerns over foreign labelling

Reports state that Mat Sabu was responding to a question from Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, who asked whether the government was aware of durians from Thailand and Vietnam entering Malaysia before being exported to China. Ngeh also raised concerns about durians sold directly to China being labelled as Musang King, and questioned what steps were being taken to protect Malaysia’s durian industry and reputation.

In reply, Mat Sabu said Malaysia is already in talks with Chinese authorities to ensure only genuine Malaysian Musang King durians are recognised in the export market.

Ongoing discussions with China

He said the government is engaging with the General Administration of Customs of China to safeguard Malaysia’s Musang King exports. Genuine Malaysian Musang King durians, he added, carry official FAMA and MyBest labels.

Mat Sabu shared that whenever he visits China, whether for official duties or personal trips, he makes it a point to check the durians sold there. While some are labelled as Musang King, he said the taste often does not match the real thing, which is why Malaysia will continue engaging Chinese customs authorities.

He stressed that Chinese consumers need to be educated to look for GACC-approved Musang King durians bearing the MyBest stamp to ensure authenticity. Protecting the Musang King brand, he said, is critical as durian exports to China are a high value industry and an important source of income for Malaysian farmers.