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Pineapple Narratives

The pineapple was the campaign symbol for Tharman. (pic courtesy of mustsharenews.) Lee’s iconic pineapple juice, from the fruit harvest in Malaysia, is among the best globally.

In September, Singapore held elections for the country’s President post. There were three candidates, and one of them, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former Senior Minister, won with a resounding victory.

His campaign symbol as a candidate was the pineapple. And after he won, the fruit became popular. People were snapping up pineapple cakes, tarts, all kinds of pineapple sweets.

It was kind of pleasing and fun to see the pineapple in the limelight. The reason was because the fruit has been a part of my life’s journey for the past few years when I was writing my first novel The Pineapple Trail. During this time, I became excited, even subconsciously compelled I would say, to be drawn to anything pineapple. I also couldn’t resist collecting decorative and vintage items connected to or bearing the pineapple motif.

On another note, there was a report that the iconic Lee Pineapple Factory in Johor would cease production by the end of this year.

As a child, hearing stories of my relatives working at the factory fascinated me. And stayed with me, till many years later, my mind retrieved this memory, and it became the impetus of the story that I wanted to tell.

The factory, which produces both canned pineapple and pineapple juice, also helped me in my research for The Pineapple Trail.

I’ve always loved pineapple juice. I have sampled many brands globally, and I feel that Lee’s pineapple juice, made from the pineapple harvest of Malaysia, is the best with its refreshing clear taste.

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