00:00Mahjong may be centuries old, but the game is finding new life among a younger generation of players.
00:07Seasoned players and curious newcomers alike are gathering around the table,
00:12rediscovering Mahjong as a game of skill, strategy and social connection.
00:17In Malaysia, social club Jom Mahjong is bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together through the game.
00:25It doesn't have to be a gambling game like the stigma in Malaysia.
00:29So when I saw that and then I realised that it can be a social game.
00:34Because in the past they were using it as a social game before they actually become something related to gamble.
00:41So yeah, that is where I realised, okay, and it's also not really complicated.
00:46It's very light-hearted and very straightforward and it's not that difficult to learn now basically.
00:52So yeah, people can just like, you know, learn in like maybe an hour or so.
00:58And then they will just pick it up and they can just use it as a way for them to
01:03socialise.
01:04With regular gatherings around the Klang Valley, the club hopes to introduce Mahjong to a new generation
01:10while giving long-time players a chance to rediscover an old favourite.
01:15Founded in April, Jom Mahjong started with fewer than eight players.
01:19Today, its sessions regularly fill eight to ten tables.
01:25Lee says Mahjong can help sharpen concentration, pattern recognition and multitasking skills.
01:31In fact, the club recently held a Brain Health and Mahjong Day at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur
01:37in conjunction with World Alzheimer's Month 2026.
01:41Just as importantly, it gets people talking, connecting and having fun together.
01:46Anyone can play. As long as you are keen to learn, we don't restrict or limit anyone.
01:53Yeah, as long as you are keen to learn and it doesn't matter where you're from, how old or how
01:58young.
01:58As long as you are interested and you want to be part of the community and have fun together,
02:03yeah, sure, you can just join us.
02:04Tiba Ragu and Terence Toh, FMT.
02:07Tiba Ragu and Terence Toh, FMT.
02:07Tiba Ragu and Terence Toh, FMT.
