Datuk Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hj. Su‘aidi Dato’ Hj. Safei

The most essential part in maintaining the continuity of traditional games is the uniformity of the ancestor’s lifestyle, it is also known as a nation’s game.

Among these few games, some are not played by new generations but only known by the parents or grandparents.

Children now prefer to play modern games such as computer games, or anything that they feel easy and comfortable to play.

This causes traditional games to disappear because of the innovation of the modern games.

The innovation of new technologies influences the children to play.

Malaysian traditional games can promote to foreigners of the culture as well as playing traditional games.

Foreigners not only can know a lot about our country, but they can also learn how to play traditional games, Like “Gasing”, “Batu Seremban”, “Congkak”, and etc.

Cari CucuCongkak

Gasing

Batu Seremban

Sepak RagaWau

MALAY

Go

CHINESE

YoyoChingay

Kho-KhoINDIANS

During the period of the Melaka Malay sultanates (1400 A.D.), sepak raga was played not only by nobles, but also a favorite of the common folks.

From sejarah melayu chronicals, there was a story of how Raja Muhammad, has his headress knocked off accidently when hit by the rattan ball kicked by Tun Besar.

Thailand call it takraw. It is also thuck thay Malaysia call it sepak raga. Philippines call it sipa, meaning "kick". Australia call it "footnis"

Players standing in a circle keep a rattan ball aloft with any part of their body except their hands.

The ball is kept in constant motion without hands touching it. Allows players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball.

The game has several versions with different rule.

Sepak raga bulat has become a popular sport game among the village & urban male youths.

Batu seremban or five stones is a game originally played by girls. This is an easier game to play compare to congkak because it only needs five stones or five round objects to play with.

You can either play with five, seven or nine objects determining to what type of game you are playing.

Batu seremban also known as Selambut or Serembat game.

It is always played during leisure time at verandah, in the house or any other suitable place.

Players should sit on the floor so that this game can be played easily and comfortably.

Before starting the game, each player needs to weight ‘batu seremban’, in order to get their turn in deciding who will go first as first player, second player & to the rest of the players.

Method to weight stones is by putting all the stones behind the palm, & toss it to the air and take again with the back of hand. Total seed that successfully caught is counted as the mark.

The objective of the game is to throw one of the stones one at a time and sweeping another on the floor simultaneously catching the one you threw earlier on. This game continues to advance stages where the game gets complicated. This game is enjoyed by all nowadays no matter whether you’re old or young you can still play this game and have fun.

The name congkak is derived from the word "congak" which means "to count mentally" which is mainly practiced in this game.

It is regarded that an efficient player who mentally calculates a few steps in advance will have an advantage in collecting points to win the game.

The oldest mancala game boards were found in a ruined fort of Roman Egypt and date back to the 4th century AD. The game was likely introduced to Southeast Asia by Indian or Arab traders in the 15th century.

Congkak is a game for two players using a board which has several holes. The aim of the game is to gather as many marbles into the home on the player's side.

It consists of a wooden board with two rows of five, seven, or nine holes and two large holes at both ends called "home".

Congkak, played with shells, marbles, pebbles or rubber/ tamarind seeds, requires two players.

A congkak board is shaped like a boat & it is believed that it is based on the legend of a fisherman unable to go to the sea during rainy season who lost his income during this time.

To prevent boredom he created this game which is similar to his boat. However, on the island of Java, the board always has a dragon head at each end and the sides of the board (which is made of wood) are carved to look like reptile scales.

The board has 2 rows of seven cups (holes) on each side and a larger compartment (storehouses) at each end. The holes are filled with 7 seeds while storehouses (homes) are empty.

A player begins by scooping up all the seeds in any hole on his side and drops each seed along his sides in a clockwise direction.

If the last seed drops into a hole containing seeds, the player scoops up all the seeds in that hole and continue distributing them.

When distributing the seeds, if the last seed drops into the player’s hole which is empty, the player is entitled to collect the seeds in his opponent’s hole directly opposite his own.

Whenever he passes his home, the player will drop a seed in it as well, but not drop it in the opponent’s home.

The 1st round finishes when a player has no more seeds on his side. In the 2nd round, players will redistribute seeds from whatever they collected in their homes

from the 1st round & fill their holes.

These seeds are deposited into his own home. If the seed falls into an empty house belonging to the opponent, the player will lose his turn & leaves his seeds in the opponent’s house. The opponent will then take his turn to play.

Beginning from left to right, seven seeds are placed in each house. If the player does not have enough seeds to fill his own houses, the remaining empty houses are considered ‘burnt’and the game is over.

This game is enjoyable and famous among children.

Game “Cari Cucu” is also called “Nenek Kebayan”.

The equipment for the game are wood as stick/ cane (tongkat) and handkerchief.

One person is choosen to be the grandmother and other players as grandchildren.

All the grandchildren hold hands among each other to make a circle.

While all the grandchildren are moving, The song is sung is as follows:

Nenek, nenek, si bongkok tigaSiang mengantuk, malam berjagaMencari cucu dimana beradaNenek kahwin dengan anak raja

When grandchildren exhausted sing, then turn "Nenek Kebayan" singing.Cucu, cucu tak dapat lariNenek tua banyak saktiSekarang nenek nak cari ganti Siapa yang kena, dia menjadi

The grandmother needs to find one of her grandchildren around her by using tongkat.

Then the grandmother needs to guess the right name and right person, so that the person that is being chosen will replace her position as the grandmother.

Kite flying is a traditional sports game widely popular in Malaysia & even Asia.

Traditional kite is known as “wau” due to the similarity of its shape to the Arabic letter that is pronounced as ‘wow’.

The reason for its popularity is how the kites display the creator's artistic flair, and how they look so graceful fluttering against the blue skies.

The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low

pressure above the wing and high pressure below it.

Wau bulan Moon-kite is an intricately designed Malaysian.

Moon-kite (normally with flora motifs) is traditionally flown by the men in kelantan. It’s one of the malaysian’s national symbols along some others being the kris and hibiscus.Although there are many different shapes of the wau, the most popular one is the Wau Bulan or Moon Kites where the tail of the kite is curved in the shape of a crescent moon. There are many types of wau in malaysia. Each with its own speciality. Wau kucing (cat kite)and wau merak(bird kite)

Kite frames are generally made of bamboo, which measures up to 2.5 to 3 meters long from head to tail, with paper attached.

Most kites, rectangular or stingray-shaped, are tethered with string on a reel.

The wau is capable of soaring to great heights.

Most of the patterns are based on local flora and fauna like birds, animal and flowers.

It usually fitted with a stringed bow which emits a soft, wailing sound when flown in the air.

This game requires at least two grown up men to handle and they should identify which way the wind blew.

One of them must swing the kite and other man must pull the string.

Then, after the kite have flown away, he must hold the string to avoid it from falling to the ground.

Although skills are important in maneuvering the kite or wau, the wind condition also influences the playing of the game.

Each season after the rice harvest, several villagers will come together to challenge each other in an ultimate test of skill.Both adults and children can play the game. The one used by adults are much bigger in size and can spin for a period of time whereas the one played by kids are much smaller.

Gasing or top spinning is a traditional game popular among Malay. It is popular especially among the villagers in the State of Kelantan & Terengganu.

There are actually five (5) different shapes of gasing found in Malaysia namely:1. Plate-Shaped2. Heart-Shaped3. Hat Top4. Egg-Shaped5. Berembang-Shaped (Berembang is a fruit of a seaside

tree)

The one who's top spins the longest and within the specified circle becomes the winner. Once the top spins out the circle, the player loses the game.

It calls for strength, coordination, and skill. The gasing, if expertly hurled, can spin for as long as 2 hours.

A circle is first drawn on the ground marking the circumstances within which the top is to spin.

A player holds the top in his hand and grips the loose end of the string between the fingers and throws the top in the circle while at the same time pulls the string backwards which sends the top into a spinning action.

CHINESE

INDIANS

Chingay

YoYo

Go

Kho - Kho

The Chingay Parade is an annual street parade held in Malaysia in celebration with the birthdays of the Chinese deities or the procession of the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) as part of the Chinese New Year festivities.

The term Chingay originated in Southeast Asia particularly in Penang means "the art of costume and masquerade“ or vibrant float.

By 1960s it spread to the rest of Malaysia.

4th February 1973 in Singapore – 1st Chingay Parade was shown to ban firecracker.Now, it mostly seen yearly during Chinese festival or big scale events in Penang and Johor Bharu.

The chingay procession, held on the 21st day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, is a highly anticipated event among the Chinese community. A common saying has it that one has not truly celebrated Chinese New Year if he has not witnessed the procession.The streets of the city centre are closed to traffic for at least 6 hours where colourful cultural dances, joyous music & brightly decorated floats parade along a 10km route.

Its trademark elements: giant triangular flags and lanterns.

Balancing the huge poles with enormous triangular flags on forehead, chin, lower jaws and shoulder.

Size of a triangular flags – at least 25’ x 15’ mounted on a 40 – feet log pole.

An alternating lifting and dropping motion using two sticks, each held in one hand, keeps the yo-yo spinning on a string tied between the sticks. In modern times, it is used as a children's toy and as a performance tool in circus events like juggling and sometimes in Chinese dance.

The chinese yoyo (adapted in western countries as the diabolo) is a toy from China consisting of two equally sized discs connected with a long axle.

Chinese yo-yo will always turn on the rope that bound the two small sticks. Players will be holding the end of both wood and offset the yo-yo from falling.

This game has been identified to exist since the Ming Dynasty around the year 1386 until after 1644 AD.

It is possible to perform a large variety of tricks with the diablo which can be as easy as throwing the yo-yo up into the air or tossing it around the user's back.

o Chinese yo-yos were traditionally made of bamboo, which was very easy to break and not convenient for complicated tricks.o Modern models, however, are now made of plastic for added durability. The sticks used with the yo-yo continue to be made of wood.o Certain included Chinese yo-yo device that produces sound when it spin quickly. This allows players to balance the sound speed of yo-yo.

Go is a board game that played by two people. Go is known as Weiqi in Chinese language. The game originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago, and is one of the oldest board games played today. 

The game is rich with complex strategy but the rules are relatively simple and easy. Go only use seeds black and white.

It is an abstract strategy board game for two players, in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent.

The game emphasizes the importance of balance on multiple levels & has internal tensions. To secure an area of the board, it is good to play moves close together; however, to cover the largest area, one needs to spread out, perhaps leaving weaknesses that can be exploited.

Playing too low (close to the edge) secures insufficient territory & influence, yet playing too high (far from the edge) allows opponent to invade.

It has been claimed that Go is the most complex game in the world due to its vast number of variations in individual games. Its large board and lack of restrictions allow great scope in strategy and expression of players' individuality. Decisions in one part of the board may be influenced by an apparently unrelated situation in a distant part of the board.

Kho-Kho ranks as one of the most popular outdoor traditional sports in India. The origin of Kho-Kho is difficult to trace, but many historians believe, that it is a modified form of 'Run Chase', which in its simplest form involves chasing and touching a person.

Like all Indian games, it is simple, inexpensive and enjoyable. It does, however, demand physical fitness, strength, speed and stamina, and a certain amount of ability. Dodging, feinting and bursts of controlled speed make this game quite thrilling.

To catch by pursuit - to chase, rather than just run - is the capstone of Kho-Kho. The game develops qualities such as obedience, discipline, sportsmanship, and loyalty between team members..

Kho-Kho can be played by men, women, and children of all ages. The game requires a very small piece of evenly surfaced ground, rectangular in shape, and 27m by 15m. The only equipment required are the two poles. The game lasts no more than 37 minutes.

Each team consists of 12 players, but only 9 players take the field for a contest. A match consists of 2 innings. An innings consists of chasing and running turns of 7 minutes each. 8 members of the chasing team sit in their 8 squares on central lane, alternately facing opposite direction, while the 9th member is an active chaser, & stands at either of the posts, ready to begin the pursuit. Members of chasing team have to put their opponent out, touching them with their palms, but without committing a foul.

All the action in Kho-Kho is provided by the defenders, who try to play out the 7 minutes time, and chasers who try to dismiss them. A defender can be dismissed in 3 ways: i) if he is touched by an active chaser with his palm without committing a foul, ii) if he goes out of the limits on his own, iii) if he enters the limit late.

Defenders enter the limit, in batches of 3. After the 3rd and last defender of batch is out, the next batch must enter the limits, before a 'kho' is given by the successful active chaser. Defenders have full freedom of movement on both sides of the central lane, but the active chaser cannot change the direction to which he is committed. He cannot cross the central lane. An active chaser can change position with a seated chaser, by touching him from behind by palm, and uttering the word 'kho' loudly, and simultaneously, chase or attack is build up through a series of 'khos' as the chase continues with a relay of chasers.

At the end of the innings there is an interval of 5 minutes and an interval of 2 minutes, in between the turns. Each side alternates between chasing and defence.