The Giant Congkak

By: Ruthravathy Tenaigaran

Traditional games such as Batu Seremban, Wau, Gasing, Sepak Bulu Ayam are still very popular among the locals as it is perfect for all age to play.

The Lendlease Foundation Family Funday 2018 on the 21st of July at Canopy Area, Perdana Lake Garden aims to promote traditional Malaysian games and to encourage parent-child bonding time. Surely, the Giant Congkak constructed by Biji-biji Initiative captured the eyes of visitors.  The word congkak is believed to originate from old Malay “congak” which means “mental calculation”.

Mandala art is renowned throughout the world for its exquisite patterns. It is common to see mandala pattern on the wall, curtains, pillows, clothes, furniture and more. Hence, a well-crafted mandala art idea adds value to the giant congkak.  

Shapes with various size were drawn on more than 10 layers of plywood before the outline was cut through using our waterjet cutting machine. Then, the plywood layer was stacked together into 3-dimensional shape to form the giant congkak.

“It is an inspiration from mandala art turned into a 3D pattern. We tried to think big. Something outside the box. On the other hand, it was quite challenging for us to determine the right size to enable the waterjet to cut through easily,”said Tee Sze Yin, the Designer.

Besides that, there was also a Giant Jenga, Bicycle Juicer and Hamster wheel being showcased, along with four workshops (Terrarium, Detergent Bottle Lab, Jewellery Making and Composting) conducted by Me.reka Makerspace. Interested in having our Giant Congkak at your next event? Or any life-size board games, feel free to contact us at [email protected] for more details.

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