For a long time British success in Malaya seemed to show how insurgency could be defeated by Western-led forces, even in inhospitable terrain. The campaign was plundered for ‘lessons’ – for Vietnam in particular. After Vietnam was lost, however, critics argued that Malaya was a special case which did not offer transferable ‘lessons’ An analysis of the general principles underlying British success in Malaya can nevertheless still provide important policy implications for Afghanistan
