ABSTRACT
This chapter reexamines the question of Malay entrepreneurship in the context of the cultural, economic, and ideological processes. It examines the constitution of capitalism in Singapore as a differentiated social and economic form. The chapter also examines the cultural practices, at the level of household and community, that have been brought to bear upon people's everyday engagements with capitalism and that have been formed and reformed in that context. It investigates the opportunities and constraints surrounding Malay entrepreneurship, focusing on the moral dimensions of business as these are negotiated among various subgroups within the Malay community. The chapter discusses the political and ideological consequences of the assessment of "the Malay problem" and its role in legitimizing a particular form of Asian capitalism. Finally, the chapter addresses the issue of legitimation, seeking to expose those cultural ideas and practices that render capitalism acceptable as a mode of life and a mechanism of resource distribution.
