The Preservation of Malaysian Traditional Sport and Games through Design

Bin Md. Zulkifli, Addy Putra and Coulton, Paul and Aryana, Bijan (2022) The Preservation of Malaysian Traditional Sport and Games through Design. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Academic research is still overlooking the subject of Malaysian traditional sports and games (MTSG). The scarcity of academic publications addressing MTSG demonstrates the importance of this research. Globalisation and technological advancement have introduced ever-increasing attractions, such as digital gaming, which has lessened the general interest in MTSG. When the researcher observed the local community in Malaysia, he discovered that it was difficult to find children and young people playing MTSG compared to the researcher's childhood. Although a personal observation may not be pragmatic in rationalising the research, it did serve as the catalyst for researching MTSG. Despite the lack of academic references and preliminary findings, the Malaysian government, local organisations, and even individual Malaysians have highlighted the importance of keeping MTSG alive. It is envisaged that active participation in MTSG activities ensures the longevity of cultural assets, thereby preserving them. However, current attempts are limited, and MTSG remains unappealing to children, teenagers, and adults as a modern leisure activity. This realisation prompted the researcher to consider alternative solutions by using design as a creative method to help reintroduce MTSG into society. The research was conducted with a pragmatic approach, including literature reviews, interviews, field experiments, design workshops, and design evaluation. The framework presented in this research provides a strategy for the potential re-introduction of MTSG. The research concludes that the MTSG can be re-introduced through design intervention on the activities using the models developed from the research framework.