🎮 Rediscovering Joy: The Revival of Traditional Games in Malaysia: Rebirth of a Nation’s Heritage
SUBJECT NAME : JUE200 - English I
PREPARED BY :
PREPARED FOR :
DR. OMAR ALI AHMAD AL-SMADI
SITI SORAYA LIN BINTI ABDULLAH KAMAL
👣 Hook: Days gone are when Congkak and
Gasing brought kiddie fun.
Imagine children happily
playing in the outdoors, barefooted, in the sun, competing sportfully in batu
seremban or spinning a wooden gasing until only one would win. With screens and
internet connectivity being the norm, the sounds of our old games have crept up
into the background. However, a national movement has developed that has a
common goal: to bring life to essence of Malaysia’s heritage through
traditional games.
🎯 Thesis Statement
This blog post examines this
rapidly growing endeavor to rescue traditional Malaysian games, looking at the
importance of it as a cultural push that induces community contacts, physical
health and sense of pride on national heritage.
📚Why Value Traditional Games Today?
1.
Cultural Identity in Crisis
From its multicultural
members, Malaysia’s traditional games (congkak, wau bulan, batu seremban, and
sepak raga) retain the flashy layers of our common history. These games give
far more than play to its players. They are cherished traditions that parents
leave to the next generation.
There is an increasing
weight of evidence to support the idea that the expansion of cities and the
overcoming success of digital media is a major aspect of dwindling
participation in these games. According to a study by Mohd Nor and others
(2023), only 18% of urban school children have participated in traditional
games. These findings act as an immediate reminder thus requiring concerted
action in order to save these cultural wonders.
Image 1 :Children playing congenial games like congkak at an annual community fair
2.
Boosting Social and Physical Development
Unlike solitary aspects of
screen use, traditional games necessitate children to work together,
collaborate, to think and communicate effectively. Sepak takraw and tarik upih
are active sports requiring both physical and mental stimulation as an
efficient antidote against a habit of a sedentary life.
Kassim & Ibrahim (2024)
show that traditional games are of vital importance for children’s psychosocial
competencies development, i.e. with the aid of notable leaps in
self-transcendence and social incorporation.
3.
School-based Initiatives
The Ministry of Education
Malaysia collaborated with the National Heritage Department to organise
Heritage Game Weeks in primary schools. Designed to place students in the
cultural aspect of traditional games through interactive activities,
storytelling, and workshops with local artisans, these initiatives encourage
students to directly engage and learn.
A 2024 pilot study by Tan
& Rahman (2024) compared the students at participating schools and found
that the students at the schools that participated with the pilot program
experienced a 36% increase in engagement and cultural awareness in comparison
to the students receiving the regular physical education.
Image 2:
Teachers guiding traditional games activities for children in Kuala Lumpur.
4.
Community and NGO-Led Movements
In cities’ centres
organisations like Warisan Kita and Mainan Lama Malaysia have started weekend
carnivals and tournaments. Such events are usually inclusive family tournaments
such as the games of galah panjang and teng teng that unite families of
different ages in their joyful everyday life.
Three-father Fady, who
frequently assists calculating these games, notes, “Playing these games
instills respect, discipline, and enjoyment”.
Image 3: Gasing aficionados
of all ages gathered at a neighbourhood park affair.
5.
Digital Revival: From Field to Screen
In order to recognize the
contemporary taste, the Malaysian game developers have created apps that can
imitate classic traditional games. The late roll-out of the “Mainan Tradisi”
app in 2023 allows users to play traditional games such as congkak and batu
seremban on line, which make both the old and young nostalgic.
Lee et al. (2023) state that
integrating technology in cultural preservation makes young people interested
and helps old games to adapt rather than die.
Image 4: A
screenshot from the Mainan Tradisi application depicting children playing
virtual congkak.
🚀 Looking Ahead: Sustaining the Momentum
💡 6. What More Can Be Done?
In order to ensure their
continuation, the traditional games should officially be included in:
- School syllabus with arts or physical education requirement.
- Digital platforms capturing game instructions, anecdotes, and backgrounds of communities.
- Tourism products with games as playful means of engaging with cultural heritage.
- Sulaiman & Ismail (2024) argue that partnerships between schools, tourism boards, and cultural NGOs are necessary to view traditional games as living traditions, rather than as antiquated relics.
Conclusion: bringing modern Malaysians back to their rural heritage
Restoring traditional games
doesn’t imply turning our back on the latest technology; it’s the joining of
the old with the new. Such games help connect difference generations,
strengthen communal bonds, and give that sense of national heritage and unity
to Malaysians.
As we move forward, we must
remember the simple innocent fun of our heritage. The fun of games such as
congkak, gasing and sepak takraw could last, whether we play around backroads
in our hometowns or online, as long as we embrace them.
🎉 Join the movement. Leave a traditional
game for a child one day!
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