Yunus Ismail has spent the past seven years redesigning the traditional spinning top, making it easier for children and beginners to enjoy while preserving its heritage. (Bernama pic) SEGAMAT: For generations, the gasing was a familiar sight in villages across Malaysia, with skilled players sending wooden spinning tops whirling across open fields. Today, however, the traditional game is becoming increasingly rare.
Rather than accept its decline, craftsman Yunus Ismail has spent the past seven years reimagining the gasing for a new generation. That children will fall in love with a game that has long been part of Malaysia's cultural heritage. Working from his workshop in Kampung Tenang, Johor, the 55-year-old handcrafts spinning tops from locally sourced cengal and merbau timber, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary designs.
Unlike the classic gasing, which requires considerable skill and a tightly wound string to launch, his redesigned versions can be spun by hand on a specially made playing board. They are also smaller, more colourful and easier for beginners to master. "Gasing is not just for the older generation," he said.
"I want children and young people to enjoy playing it, too. "Beginners often struggle to master the string, so I created a version that is easier to play while still retaining the identity and essence of the traditional gasing." Yunus first entered the handicraft industry in 2007, producing decorative items and landscape features from driftwood before turning his attention to spinning tops, a skill passed down by his late father. The game carries special meaning for him because his father was an enthusiastic gasing player.
Meanwhile, Kampung Tenang remains home to one of the handful of active gasing arenas still found in Malaysia. In 2018, Yunus's efforts earned him the top prize at the Johor Creative Arts Competition, strengthening his belief that traditional crafts can remain relevant through innovation. (Bernama pic) "That is why I want this heritage to remain alive and be appreciated by future generations," Yunus said.
Although demand for his creations has grown, every spinning top is still largely made by hand, limiting production to between 30 and 50 pieces a day. He has even had to decline orders for tens of thousands of units because he lacks the machinery to produce them on a larger scale.
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