A synthetic model of the variety of industrial relations experiences is used to evaluate the types of role the state can play in the industrial relations of a group of Third World countries such as ASEAN. Such an approach avoids the unilinear and reductionist approaches of the right and the left, which by assimilating the state to the economy, totally neglect the importance of class struggles and political “bargaining” which affects bureaucratic controls even in the most corporatist state. Thus an understanding of the dynamics of industrial relations in any country can be gained only through relating these descriptive categories to specific historical and economic contexts in the development experience of a country: no a priori explanations can be offered. This paper examines the historical influences on the Malaysian industrial relations system and discusses the current state and likely trends in industrial relations within the above framework of analysis. [Download]