Ting's boards come in six designs, with colourful variations. His company, Syarikat Permainan Malaysia (SPM) in Puchong, Selangor manufactures the SPM Carrom Boards which hit the Malaysian market six months ago. To date, some 40,000 sets have been sold. In February this year, his large-size carrom boards were given the G-Mark (Good Design Award) by the Malaysian Design Council.

Apart from the carrom boards, Ting's stable of pedigree products include his colourful plastic congkat sets which earned the G-Mark award in 1997. In 1987, his company won a product excellence award for its wooden billiard table. Ting, 63, regards his carrom boards as "environmentally-friendly" as they go some way towards preventing more trees from being felled.

With the wooden boards, a sprinkling of talcum powder is needed now and then to reduce the sudden "stop-go situation" caused by the suction effect created by the contact of the smooth surfaces of the board and the disks. There's no need for powder, which seems as much a component of a carrom game as the board and disks themselves, with Ting's boards.

A micro-dotted surface, the most important feature of Ting's boards, enables smooth, uninterrupted play. What's more, the board and disks can be washed occasionally to remove dirt or grime. With a cleaner and less sticky surface, a better game is ensured.
There are several others impressive innovative features. Unlike the glossy surface of wooden carrom board, the matt surface of Ting's board cuts out glare.

While the striker of the conventional carrom board is bigger than the other disks, all the disks of Ting's board are the same size. The striker is denoted by its blue colour. Ting says there is no need for a heavier and bigger striker for "momentum" to move the disks as the surface of his carom board has very little friction. For a better game, the board also has a foolproof "rebounding" bumper, not included in wooden carrom boards.

While carrom is an ancient Burmese boardgame, the wooden boards generally have primitive Indian designs. Ting explains that the single arrows at the four corners of some carrom boards represent the Veil of Lord Muruga while the three arrows symbolise the soolam (Mother of God) of the Amman or Mariamman temple. Another indication of Indian art influence are the thick lines.

He has omitted the drawings which "serve no purpose in the game." His boards are designed without any religious or cultural connotation. The boards can be placed on tabletops by fixing rubber pads to protect the tables from-being scratched. Fit the board with legs and you can play the game on the floor.

The carrom sets are available in three sizes - small (54cm x 54cm), standard (70cm x 70cm) and large (87cm x 87cm). For each category, you can choose either do-it-yourself, ready-to-use or foldable sets. The sets are priced between RM58 and RM120 and are sold at 1,500 retail outlets throughout Malaysia and Singapore.

"The small traveller set is convenient for travel and suitable for young children," says Ting. "The standard (medium) sets are for families who have to cope with compact living. "The large carrom boards can be used in tournaments." Presently, Ting is working on his next project, an innovative plastic billiard table.

His company has produced over 60 models of boardgames and sells over 300,000 game sets annually. SPM is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records as the largest boardgame producer in the country. For enquiries, call 03-5719272 or 5719242. Fax: 03-5719277.