( 3 ) 
has not yet learnt to be a shopkeeper, and he is also 
improvident, which is the Chetty’s opportunity. 
Malays borrow money from Chetties, at interest 
which works out at about 36 per cent, p.a., since 
interest on the full amount of the principal is still 
being paid when many instalments on it have already 
been refunded. The security, generally a land grant, 
is ample, and, as the Malay is not a good payer of 
debts, the mortgagee often forecloses and the land 
is sold. Owing to transactions of this nature, and 
the direct sale of their lands by Malays to members 
of other nationalities, there was considerable dan- 
ger of them becoming a landless people, which 
would have been a great calamity, entailing the 
unsettlement of the only really permanent element 
of the population. Chiefly for these reasons and 
to allow for expansion of the Malay population in 
the future, Government, a few years ago, began to 
create extensive “ Malay Reserves.” Within such 
an area the land may only be owned by Malays and 
Chetties are chary about advancing money or land 
situated in a reserve because it has not the same 
value as that which has a free market. 
Malayan as At the census of 1911 the Chinese in 
compared the Federated Malay States of Perak, 
with foreign Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Pahang 
population, outnumbered the Malays, the figures 
being 433,244 and 420,840 respectively, 
and it must be remembered that the Malay figures 
include Malayan foreigners, Sumatrans, Javanese 
and others. At the same census the Indians num- 
bered 172,465. 
At the census of 1921 the Malays had regained 
the lead over the Chinese the figures being 510,821, 
and 494,548, with Indians 305,219. The 1921 census 
