Singapore and Malaysia
Singaporean and Malaysian mahjong uses a set with extra animal tiles — commonly a cat, mouse, rooster and centipede — alongside flowers and seasons. Drawing animal tiles brings instant payments in some house rules, particularly when a matched pair (cat and mouse, or rooster and centipede) is collected. Scoring is based on tai with a minimum, and special payments for certain bonus combinations are common.
Full Malaysian and Singaporean sets can contain well over 150 tiles, depending on how many extra bonus pieces are included.
The Philippines
Filipino mahjong uses sixteen-tile hands, similar to Taiwanese play, with local scoring traditions and a variety of bonus rules. It is a popular family and social game, often played during holidays and gatherings.
Vietnam
Vietnamese mahjong sets are notable for including many extra jokers and special tiles, giving the game a very different texture from Chinese styles. Mahjong tables can even be seen in historic settings such as the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City.
A shared heritage
Across the region, mahjong's spread followed Chinese migration and trade. Each community kept the core of the game while adding local rules, tiles and customs — one of the clearest examples of how the game adapts to its players.
