Remember Sahibba and Saidina? Here's the Untold Story of Their Founder

For many Malaysians who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s, Sahibba and Saidina were more than just board games. They were part of childhood.

Whether during rainy afternoons at home, family gatherings, or school competitions organised by teachers, these games entertained an entire generation while quietly teaching language, strategy, and critical thinking.

Long before smartphones, tablets, and online gaming became part of everyday life, Sahibba and Saidina were helping Malaysians learn through play.

Yet despite their popularity, very few people know the remarkable story behind the man who created them.

His name was Ting Sie Bing, a teacher from Perak whose simple observation inside a classroom would eventually lead to one of Malaysia’s most successful educational game companies.

A Small Moment That Changed Everything

Back in the 1970s, Ting Sie Bing was working as a teacher at an industrial training institute.

One day, he noticed something unusual.

Several students were playing Scrabble, a word game designed for the English language. However, instead of creating English words, they were using the letter tiles to form words in Bahasa Melayu.

Most people would probably have ignored it.

Ting Sie Bing did not.

As he watched the game unfold, he realised something interesting. Certain letters commonly used in Bahasa Melayu appeared much more frequently than they did in English. As a result, some tiles were constantly needed while others were often left unused.

To many, it was a minor detail.

To Ting, it was an opportunity.

He began wondering whether Malaysia needed its own word-building game designed specifically for the Malay language.

That single question would eventually lead to the creation of Sahibba, one of Malaysia’s most iconic educational games.

The Four-Year Research Behind Sahibba

Creating a local version of a word game was not as simple as translating the rules.

If the game was going to work properly, every letter tile had to reflect how Bahasa Melayu was actually used.

So Ting Sie Bing did something few entrepreneurs would be willing to do.

He spent years studying Bahasa Melayu dictionaries.

His goal was to determine how frequently each alphabet appeared in everyday usage so he could create the correct distribution of letter tiles.

It was painstaking work.

In fact, he reportedly spent almost four years conducting research before finalising the concept that would eventually become Sahibba.

Many people questioned why someone would spend years analysing letter frequencies for a board game.

Rather than being discouraged by criticism, he continued refining the game until he was satisfied that it truly worked for the Malay language.

His persistence eventually paid off.

The result was Sahibba, a word-building game that transformed vocabulary learning into a fun and competitive experience.

The Story Behind the Name Sahibba

Many Malaysians recognise the name Sahibba, but few know how it came about.

According to Ting Sie Bing’s son, Ted Sun, the company’s earliest game title initially faced legal objections because it was considered too similar to Scrabble.

As a result, the company needed a new identity for its game.

The name Sahibba was eventually created by combining the words “sahib” (Lord) and “bahasa” (language).

The new name not only solved the legal issue but also helped establish Sahibba as a uniquely Malaysian educational game.

Today, the name has become synonymous with word-building games in Malaysia.

Building a Malaysian Board Game Empire

On 26 June 1976, Ting Sie Bing established Syarikat Permainan Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (SPM).

At the time, imported Western board games dominated the market, while locally developed educational games were relatively rare.

The company began with a simple mission.

To create games that reflected Malaysian language, culture, and learning needs.

Following the success of Sahibba, the company introduced Saidina, a property-trading board game inspired by Monopoly-style gameplay but adapted for local audiences.

Over time, both Sahibba and Saidina became household names.

The company continued expanding its product range and today reportedly produces more than 60 educational games, with annual sales reaching approximately 300,000 game sets every year.

That achievement makes SPM one of Malaysia’s most successful local board game companies.

Teaching Malaysians How to Play

Ironically, one of the company’s biggest challenges was not manufacturing the games.

It was convincing Malaysians to play them.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, locally developed board games were still unfamiliar to many consumers.

According to Ted Sun, a game is not like a pen or a toothbrush.

People first needed to understand how it worked.

To introduce Sahibba and Saidina to the public, the company participated in exhibitions, roadshows, fairs, and public demonstrations across Malaysia.

Over time, awareness grew.

Schools adopted the games, families embraced them, and Sahibba gradually became part of Malaysian childhood.

Why Sahibba Still Matters Today

In an era dominated by smartphones and digital entertainment, many might assume traditional board games have become irrelevant.

Yet Sahibba continues to survive nearly five decades after its creation.

One reason is nostalgia.

Parents who grew up playing Sahibba are now introducing it to their own children.

Another reason is something digital games often struggle to replicate.

Face-to-face interaction.

Board games encourage communication, negotiation, laughter, and shared experiences.

While SPM has experimented with digital integration and newer formats, the company believes technology should complement physical games rather than replace them.

This philosophy has helped Sahibba remain relevant even as childhood entertainment continues to evolve.