| Sumario: | The writer argues that laissez fairism, regarded by neoclassical economists as the best option for promoting industrial development, restricted large-scale manufacturing expansion in Malaya. Colonial rule in Malaya in relation to manufacturing was mainly characterized by laissez faire trade policies. Despite the brutal presence of this regime, the conditions for the emergence of modern manufacturing evolved during colonial rule. Colonial rule quickened capitalist integration and sowed the seeds for industrial transformation in Malaya. However, imperial rule under a foreign power, engrossed largely in safeguarding British capitalist interests, limited the potential for large-scale industrialization in Malaya.
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