SMP 2025: Museums Dept Relives Nostalgia Of Over 20 Traditional Games, Sports

By Siti Azila Alias

BATU KAWAN, July 19 (Bernama) -- The traditional games booth set up by the Museums Department at the National-Level 2025 Unity Week (SMP) celebration at the Batu Kawan Stadium complex has emerged as one of the main attractions, particularly among the younger generation.

More than 20 types of traditional games and sports were featured at the booth, including sumpit, galah panjang, baling getah, boling kelapa, kaki hantu, batu seremban, congkak, teng-teng and dam ular - all of which reflect the rich cultural diversity of Malaysian society.

Curator of the National Museum, Mohd Jamil Harun, said the games were not only on display but also made available for visitors to try out, allowing them to relive nostalgic memories while introducing the younger generation to traditional pastimes that are increasingly at risk of being forgotten.

“The younger generation who visit the booth are especially drawn to kaki hantu as well as kerchang, a traditional game of the Orang Asli community. Many of them are unfamiliar with how these games are played, so the secretariat demonstrates the proper way to play them.

“It’s the same with lastik tin (slingshot) - we provide rubber slingshots like those used to target lizards. They don’t know how to use them properly, which is why we need to regularly introduce these games through programmes like SMP, so that at the very least, they are aware of and appreciate our heritage,” he told Bernama when met here yesterday.

Mohd Jamil said that in addition to allowing visitors to try out traditional games, his team also organised daily activities and competitions at the booth throughout the four-day SMP celebration. These included contests such as timbang chapteh, baling damak and sepak raga gelung - all aimed at reviving interest in traditional sports.

To further engage young visitors and families, the booth also featured a series of interactive DIY (Do-It-Yourself) workshops, such as making batu seremban and kites, as well as crafting congkak boards. What made the experience more meaningful, he said, was that participants were allowed to take home the games they made themselves, creating lasting memories while learning about the country’s heritage.

He noted that such activities indirectly help instil interest and raise awareness about the artistic and creative value embedded in traditional games.

“We’ve received a very encouraging response since yesterday, with visitors coming non-stop from the booth’s opening at 9 am until 10 pm. It’s heartening to see not only children but also their families enthusiastically taking part in the fun,” he said.

Meanwhile, Amirah Farwizah Tan Ammar Firdaus Tan, 12, a student from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Convent Butterworth, said that trying the traditional games at the booth gave her a new and exciting experience, even though some of them were familiar as they were available at her school.

“I often play congkak at school, but here I got the chance to try other traditional games like timbang chapteh and boling kelapa. It was really fun because I learned about traditional games I had never seen or even heard of before,” she said.

A total of 35 exciting activities await visitors throughout SMP 2025, taking place from Thursday to Sunday. Highlights include the ‘Rumah KAMI’ exhibition, the Kadazan Dusun and Orang Asli villages, the ‘Malaysia Tanah Airku’ exhibition, the ‘Susur Masa’ exhibition by the Department of Museums, and the National Library Pavilion.

Themed ‘Harmony in Diversity’, SMP 2025 is also featuring a vibrant line-up of programmes, including Food Unites, MADANI Sales, local handicraft and product sales, durian fiesta, Uniti Run, traditional sports, e-sports championships, Kembara Ilmu, the Penang Book Festival, Wayang Pacak, the Open Boria competition and the Primary School Ethnic Dance contest.

-- BERNAMA