Traditional Games: Spinning Top/Gasing

Early last year, Faculty of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak has done a research on " Instilling Community Pride Through Heritage Tourism in Kuala Kangsar" . The objective of this research is to assist the community in developing Kuala Kangsar as a heritage tourism destination. One of the heritage element that we have found in Kuala Kangsar is Spinning Top/Gasing. Spinning Top is one of the Malay Traditional that is famous in Kelantan & Terengganu. This famous spinning top located at Sayung, Kuala Kangsar, Perak (a place of famous product of Labu Sayong). This spinning top is one of the popular traditional games especially amongst villagers in Sayong. Here we met Pak Andak (the Gasing maker) and according to him, Gasing is played during the birthday celebration of Sultan of Perak. An expert top-spinner can make a perfectly balanced gasing spin for as long as two hours at a stretch. We have spent about an hour at the ‘Gasing’ workshop listening to the whole story of Pak Andak on how to make Gasing. He also did show us on how to play Gasing.

The Gasing rink located opposite to Pak Andak house. It is used by the locals as a training arena for the state Gasing player

Sample of Gasing Plag make by Pak Andak

Pak Andak showing me on how to make Gasing using a find piece of hard wood