AJI entered the halls of his school after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, keen to catch up with his friends in the South Jakarta private school he attends.
The clack-clack-clack of the lato-lato perhaps reflected the 13-year-old’s upbeat outlook.
Better known as clackers in the West, the sturdy balls connected by a string have caught on for Aji and his peers since November 2022.
The toy has become a hit with millions of Indonesians, from President Joko Widodo to schoolchildren, as it makes a comeback after nearly three decades.
Little did Aji and his friends realise that the sound caused by crashing the balls below and above his wrist would be their undoing.
“The principal confiscated my lato-lato before the day was out. I did not see that coming,” he recalled.
“But it will not stop me from playing lato-lato, as I get much pleasure from playing and eventually mastering it.”
Aji’s brush with the faculty is an example of one of several lato-lato crackdowns in schools in provinces such as Lampung, West Java and East Java, according to Kompas.com, since the start of the year.
The measures came after the toys were suspected of causing physical injuries – once to an eight-year-old boy in West Kalimantan province and another, a five-year-old girl in West Java, after the toys slipped out of their peers’ grasps.
Lato-lato were also suspected of destroying windows and a TV LED screen in Cirebon, West Java, after the toy flew out of a child’s hand.
It does not take much to imagine how devastating lato-lato can be in the hands of minors.
A small, plastic ring held uneasily held between the forefinger and middle finger is all one has to control the pair of weighted balls at the end of a couple of flimsy pieces of string.
The incidents occurred over 50 years after the sale of lato-lato was banned in the United States and Canada due to safety concerns.
“I’m not surprised that lato-lato can be so damaging as they are made of titanium or reinforced polymer and other plastics,” said Rian, a street vendor selling lato-lato from a stall in Pangkalan Jati, South Jakarta.
“Lato-lato often make my arms black and blue from the impact. But apparently, it doesn’t detract from the toys’ appeal among children and young people, as well as the middle-aged and elderly.”
For University of Indonesia child psychologist Vera Itabiliana, the toy’s bargain prices and ready availability highlighted the need for more monitoring.
“Like other toys, lato-lato should meet some criteria, namely that they should be of sturdy construction, high quality and easy to handle.
“Other factors include the child’s ability to play with the toy safely by keeping it at a safe distance from vulnerable parts of their body or others’,” she said. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
