Description

One of the book’s several strong points are the amusing, often fascinating sketches of government officials and British merchants. This is a book of light touch and readable style but also of much information. Especially useful to the specialist are the examination of European-Chinese credit relationships and the use of merchant house archive material. The book will take its place among principal works on Malayan economic history and should, over the coming years, further promote its ongoing revival.

This is the story of British enterprise in Singapore and Malaya from 1786 to 1920, when British vision, zeal and drive developed Penang, then Singapore and, finally, the peninsular Malay States.

In the initial years, commerce and finance were paramount. The seeds of these commercial activities had been planted initially in the days of the East India Company but later, and more importantly, by individual merchant firms, supported by credit from London. These merchants were the driving force of British investment and development on the Malay Peninsula. While the contributions of the Malays, Indians and, especially, the Chinese to economic development should not be under-rated, in the period under review, their activities were steered and monitored by the British.

This book presents an original and coherent account of British Enterprise in Singapore and Malaya in an important historical period and includes substantial new material from primary records of merchant firms and banks which will be of great interest to students, professionals as well as the general public.