Malay economy and society
Historical and social factors have shaped the economic conditions of Malay society. The traditional Malay social structure consisted of a hierarchy of authority, which located much of the wealth and power within the aristocratic group. For many centuries the Malays were mainly agriculturalists, engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. After Independence in 1957 the structure of the rural Malay economy changed with the opening up of land schemes and government intervention to correct the Malaysian social structure and to reduce poverty.
- Information in the full article includes
- The traditional economy: Subsistence and trading
- Sharecropping and leasing
- From rural to market economy
