If there is a Malaysian Squid Game, what traditional games should be included?
SHAH ALAM - Do you remember the games you used to play with your friends as soon as school finished and how your mother will have to drag you back home every time? The new generation might not be able to relate, what with their childhood exposed to technology like smartphones and video games.
This hits close to home if you are already reminiscing about those evenings spent playing traditional games such as batu seremban, congkak, sepak takraw, hopscotch, gasing, ceper among many others.
Traditional games is part of the Malaysian culture, just as significant as our national flag Jalur Gemilang, the national anthem Negaraku and possibly even the Rukun Negara, which has been saved in a special in the hearts of many.
Now, simply asking Malaysians to vouch for the best traditional games would only lead to an intense debate or cause a lot of indecisive answers not only because there are a lot to choose from, but also for the reason that it might be subjective to every Malaysian.
If you are a fan of sensational South Korean drama series Squid Game, you will know that their deadly games are based on the country’s traditional games namely the slap-match, marbles, dalgona candy challenge as well as the red light, green light game (minus the scary giant robot doll and life-to-death situations).
Let’s ask ourselves then - if they happen to produce a Squid Game but with a twist where it is a Malaysian version, which of our traditional games should be included?
GALAH PANJANG
Siti Norafizah Saip, 45, said galah panjang should be included because it deals with speed and agility, making it a thrilling game not only for the players, but also the audience.
“Galah panjang is an iconic traditional game that every kid played during my childhood knows about but it is hard to see kids these days playing it and some have no idea what it is to begin with. “We should introduce this game in series or shows in order for the children to get to know traditional games like this, or it might be forgotten and extinct in the next generations to come,” she told Sinar Daily.
Galah panjang is played by at least four players with teams divided into the attack and defence groups. The playing ground consists of a grid of six rectangles drawn on a vacant land.
Captains of the team will direct the tram while attackers attempt to break the defence lines without being touched or tapped by the defenders, those who have been touched are out and removed from the game.
At least one attacker has to break through the last line of defence in order to be declared as the winning team. If the attacking side is losing, then the defenders will take turns to play the attacking role.
BALING SELIPAR
Meanwhile, 18-year old Hidayah said baling selipar is a definite must and should be top of the list.
Baling selipar is when at least three slippers are stacked vertically up with each player throwing their own slipper to knock the slipper tower down.
Hidayah said not only has this game been a huge part of the Malaysian childhood but also reflected the country’s identity as it is not played in other countries.
“I feel like whenever we talk about baling selipar, we would be thinking that it is a game played by Malaysians and shouldn’t we be proud of that?
“I have no idea if other countries are also playing this game, they might but in a different form compared to what we play here, or it has different rules,” she said.
She said it will be fun to introduce this game in the show and give the adults some nostalgia of the iconic games they used to play when they were young.
CEPER
A 19-year-old, who only wanted to be known as Aziz, recommended ceper game as one of the games to be included in the show.
How do you play this game? It is pretty simple.
All you need is “ceper” or in English known as bottle caps - any steel bottle caps such as the soy sauce bottles.
A participant must count the number of ceper available during the weighing of ceper in order to participate in this game, while each ceper counts as two points. The total number of successfully weighted ceper and the number of points earned will determine the winners.
Aziz said this is one of the games that made up a big part of his childhood every time he went back to his hometown in Kelantan.
“Until I entered middle school, I was pretty obsessed with the game and my cousins had also been into it like me too.
“We will collect these ceper and play this game whenever we have free time.
“Imagine this game in the show, that would be great and I think it suits the ambience of the show when they played the dalgona candy game challenge,” he said.
MALAYSIA’S TRADITIONAL FOR THE FUTURE
Squid Game made South Korean traditional games into global phenomenon as many - including in Malaysia, tried to emulate and play it.
Children, who are not supposed to be watching the show to begin with due to age limit, even started playing the red light, green light game in playgrounds and gone viral on social media. Not only that, many even tried playing a DIY dalgona challenge at home.
Perhaps, just like the show, we can also promote our traditional games to the new generation so that they could learn about it and keep the tradition alive.
In conjunction with Malaysia Day on Sept 16 this year, we wish a ‘Selamat Hari Malaysia’ to all Malaysians out there and try playing these traditional games over the long weekend!
