in old Malaya(as in the other nearby colonies), the british started up many huge plantation companies (like sime darby, the largest oil palm grower in the world today, Harrisons & Crosfield etc etc and always run by an English 'madman'
who's a strict no-nonsense BUT ethical boss...they run around, hands-on wearing these pith hats clearing dense tropical forests..but defiinitely never shirtless
or he'll be a favourite with the mosquitoes altho they did wear shorts and short sleeves, perhaps used to bites and leaches