ABSTRACT
The spread of “advanced” ideas seems likely to be moderate among educated Malays and very slight among the bulk of the population. All development in general culture among the Malays, apart from the special progress of exceptional individuals, is influenced by their mode of life. Polygamy is rare among ordinary Malays, and the harem of the old sultans and chiefs, to say nothing of a series of irregular amours, is becoming a thing of the past. Rubber cultivation is already practised by Malays, mostly on small areas, to a considerable extent. The rice grown in Malaya is barely sufficient for the Malays themselves. Fish swarm in the rivers and ponds, and are already used largely by Malays and others as food. The success of Malay capitalists in a mild way in Trengganu shows that Malays need not be despaired of as incapable of managing the necessary business and financial side of industries.
