History of congkak in Malaysia

Congkak is believed to origin from word ‘congak’ in old Malays language which mean count. This is because this game requires the player to be able to ‘count’ and someone who is good in mathematic will have some advantage in this game.

It is said that this game occurred since the Malacca Kingdom where it has spread through many country in south east asia region. This is because this kingdom happen to be the main city for business during their prime time.

In early days it is believed that this game is for the king family and the palace resident, however later it spread to the people around the kingdom.

If we observe the Congkak which is the wood carve, we will see that it is similar to a boat. It is said that this game was initiate by a fisherman. Based on the legend, this fisherman unable to go to the sea during raining season and he loss his income during this time. To prevent him from become very bored, he have create this game which is similar to his boat.