This carved bamboo pointer is also known as 'petunjuk' in Malay. It is used by children to point to verses while learning to read or recite the Qur'an (mengaji), a vital aspect of a Muslim child's religious education. A religious teacher would conduct classes usually attended by children living in the same kampung or in Singapore in the same housing estate. Today, children would use a 'lidi', the vein of a coconut frond.
