THE TUNDUK-TUNDUK LAPANG GAME

The game Tunduk-tunduk Lapang is a Dusun Labuk traditional game in Sandakan, Sabah.

Played by five to six players, it is accompanied by the Dusun Labuk folksongs sung by the players whilst touching other players’ fingers. The finger that is touched last when the song finishes will be bent inwards towards the palm. The game repeats, until comes a player will all his fingers bent.  A loser is ‘punished’ by eating a chili or pepper.

The lyric of the folk song sung is as follows:

Tunduk-tunduk lapang ka

Lapang di Sagigiou ka

Koliwada di yondou ka

Pokolada-pokolada

Tomusai tomusai

Hampar-hampar pisang

Pisang di belum masak

Masak sebiji

Diurang beli beli

Chupeli chup patah kayu bingkuk

Translated by Dr. Megawati Omar, PhD.