Plantation Systems The Malaysian Case V Selvaratnam Most studies on the plantation system, of peninsular Malaysia have tended to underplay the role which external factors have played in shaping the internal structures, particularly that of labour within these societies. The uncritical use of the traditional structural-functional framework has prevented scholars from reflecting adequately the social processes that have emerged within plantation economies and societies. This article critically examines the theoretical framework and empirical boundaries so far used by scholars.