ABSTRACT
The fishermen of the east coast, with few exceptions, have not the time to grow their own rice, vegetables or tobacco, as is done inland, nor is the soil always suitable. Markets and shops are essential for them to buy the every day necessaries of life, and are not, as in many primitive communities, merely the means of exchanging surpluses and luxuries. The sale of certain highly smelling fish pastes is prohibited, and women are not supposed to sit on the stalls provided for the display of food. The country markets, many of which are farmed out, conform in varying degrees to the ideal standard of construction, cleanliness and order, according to the wealth and vigilance of the local authorities. Marketing in Malaya is on the whole dominated by women. The reverse movement takes place with those goods which are produced on a large scale by specialists for whom this is the main source of livelihood.
