"It does not matter if you have not got a prestigious paper qualification. What matters is hard work," said the Sitiawan-born Ting, whose highest qualification is a certificate from a technical trade school. He said a game of congkok is ideal for relaxation and helps to improve concentration. "It also helps to preserve tradition and is an excellent alternative to video games with their adverse side-effects," he said.
The game is believed to have originated in Egypt 3,500 years ago and slowly found its way throughout the world in various forms. Ting's firm, Syarikat Pennainan Malaysia Sdn Bhd, plans to market the product overseas as it can be played according to regional variations of the game. The company is the biggest games manufacturer in the country which earlier introducedthe first Bahasa Malaysia crossword board game, Sahibba, in addition to the Malaysian version of Monopoly, Saidina. |
