Introduction
Series of commemorative stamps issued in 2000 which feature popular traditional Malaysian children’s games (from left) kite flying, main guli (marbles), bicycle rim racing, tarik upih and ting ting (hopscotch).
The population of Malaysia comprises a diversity of cultures and a corresponding array of sports and recreational activities. Traditional recreation helps preserve the past and can be classified broadly according to three categories: activities that belong to the various indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, activities associated with the Malays and, finally, activities practised by the various communities, such as the Chinese and Indians, who came into the country during the colonial period. Like much of Malaysia’s multicultural landscape, these traditional recreational activities, engaged in by diverse communities and introduced in different time strata, exist side-by-side, engendering a unique heritage.
Some of these traditional games and pastimes, however, can be encountered throughout Southeast Asia and are shared especially among geographically contiguous communities in different countries. Top spinning, kite flying, silat and bird singing are all activities that transcend international borders. But there are clearly distinguishable features that make the Malaysian manifestations of these activities distinctive. Kelantanese tops, for example, are unique by virtue of their sheer size, and the manner in which they function as competitive as well as decorative objects. Although kite flying dates back at least 3000 years to China, Korea and Japan, perhaps nowhere more than in Malaysia is the making and flying of kites seen as such a serious art form, demonstrating consummate craftsmanship and skill and elaborate cultural symbolism. Traditional pastimes have thus evolved into highly significant representations of local culture.
Traditional recreation not only serves the purposes normally associated with sports and games. Indeed, amusement and competition are merely two of the many aspects of Malaysian traditional pastimes, which are often multifunctional in character and involve numerous levels of meaning. The recreation of the Orang Asli and other indigenous communities, for instance, fulfils social functions, playing an important role in determining an individual’s standing in the community. By requiring the demonstration of physical prowess and mental capabilities, recreational activities such as dancing, hunting, fishing and cooking can lend prestige to members of a community, serving as means of proving self-worthiness and even attracting potential spouses. Other traditional games and pastimes are also connected with deeply embedded spiritual beliefs, mythologies and world views. Traditional games and pastimes are vehicles of social cohesion, and help to pass on the shared values of a community from one generation to the next.