Table Of ContentTHE KUOMINTANG 
MOVEMENT IN BRITISH MALAYA
THE KUOMINTANG 
MOVEMENT 
IN 
BRITISH MALAY A 
1912-1949 
C. F. YONG and R. B. McKENNA 
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
c I 990 Singapore University Press 
Kent Ridge. Singapore 0511 
All rights reserved. 
ISBN 9971-69-137-X (Paper) 
TPryipnetesedt  bbyy::  TPirminetms aGrtr aLpithhiocgs raphers (MaS) Pitea. f stdia.
Contents 
LiosfTt a bles  vi 
LiosfPt l ates  vii 
LiosAftp  pendices  ,·iii 
Ahbrn•iations  ix 
Preface  xi 
I.  Historical Background 
2.  Flexing the Political Muscles: The First Phase of 
the Malayan K11omimang Movement, 1912-1925  22 
3.  From Supervision to Suspension: British Control and 
Chinese Nationalism. 1911-1925  44 
4.  The KMT Forging Ahead Under a Ban. 1925-1930  83 
5.G rappling with the KMT: The Divided 'Colonial Mind', 
1925-1930  106 
6.  The Clementi Onslaught and the Lampson Diplomacy: 
The Taming of the 'Double-Head Snake', 1930-1931"  134 
7.  Retardation and Rcvh•al: The Agony of the Malayan 
KMT Movement, 1931-1942  172 
8.  The High Tide of the Malayan KMT Movement, 
1945-1949  199 
9.  Conclusion  226 
Appendices  236 
Glosy  sar 256 
Bibliograph;•  261 
!ttdex  275
List of Tables 
Chapter I 
I.  T'ung Meng Hui Brnnchcs and Principal. Leaders. 1906-1911  lJ 
2.  Malayan Chinese Financial Contributions to Chinese 
Revolution, 1906-I 912  I 7 
Ch11pter 2 
I.  KMT Dr.inches in Malaya. 1912-1925  26 
2.  Pang. Binhplacc and Social Origins of the Singapore KMT 
Office bearers, July 1913  28 
3.  Principal Leaders of the CRP Branches.and Sub-Branches in 
Uri1ish Malaya, 1914-1919  33 
4.  Fund Raised by the CRP Branches in British Malaya for 
Sun Yat-sen Against Yuan Shih-k'ai. 1915-1916  36 
Chapter 4 
I. The KMT Branches and Sub-Branches in Bri1ish Malaya. 
1926  87 
2.  The KMT Branches and Sub-Branches. Controlled by the 
'Moderates', 1927  90 
3.  BMHB Office-bearers. 1929  92 
4.  KMT Membership in Malaya and Singapore, January 1929  94 
5.  BMHB Office-bearers. 1930  95 
Chapter 6 
I.  Conference on Chinese Affairs. Govcrnmcm House. Singapore 155 
Chapler 7 
I.  Members of the Preparatory Committr.,-cs of the Malayan Direct 
Branches, 1931  174 
2.  Executive and Supervisory Comminee Members and Reserve 
Members of the Sc\angor Direct Branch, 1933  180 
Chapter 8 
I.  Key KMT Leaders in Fives States in Malaya  205 
2.  Leadership of the Singapore KMT Branch, 1948  206 
3.  The Sclangor KMT Leadership, I 948  207 
4.  Estimate of Total KMT Membership in Malaya, March 
1948  209 
S.  SMCIYC Membership and Branches in Malaya, 1947  211 
6.  KMT-controlled or Influenced Newspapers in Malaya, 19.48  215 
vi
LiosftP  lates 
I.  Dr. Sun Yat-scn (1866-1925) 
2.  Bill Chin House (or Dr Sun Yat-scn Villa). Singapore 
3.  Sun Yai.scn·s visit to Singapore, 1905 
4.  Sun Ya1-scn with Teo Eng-hock and Tan Chor-nam. 190S 
5.  Huang Hsing and Pcrak TMH (T',mg Meng llu1) members, 1910 
6.  Dr Lim Boon-kcng, President of the Singapore K.MT 
(Kuomimang), 1913-14 
7.  Chan Chan-mooi, TMH 'old guard', Kuala Lumpur 
8.  Teng Tse-ju, TMH ·old guard', Kuala Pilah 
9.  Tch Lay-scng, TMH 'old guard', Pcrak 
10.  Lee Guan-swcc. TMH 'old guard', Pcrak 
11.  Goh Say-cng, TMH 'old guard', Pcnang 
12.  Lim Nee-soon, TMH 'old guard', Singapore 
13.  Teo Eng-hock. TMH 'old guard', Singapore 
14.  Tan Chor-nam, TMH 'old guard', Singapore 
15.  Lee Chin-tian. K.MT leader, Singapore 
16.  Lim Kcng-lian, KlvlT leader. Singapore 
17.  Chuang Hui-chuan. KMT leader. Singapore 
18.  Tan Kok-chor, KMT leader, Singapore 
19.  Tan Kah-kee, a TMH member, Singapore 
20.  Tan Kah-kcc wilh Lau Gcok-swee, Pcnang KMT leader and 
Tjhung Sic-gan. Batavia KMT leader, 1938 
21.  Lim Ta-tian, KMT leader, Malacca 
22.  Tan Kee-gak, KMT leader, Malacca 
23.  Wong Shee-roon. KMT leader. Johorc 
24.  Ho Ju-khoon. KMT leader. Penang 
25.  Chew Mua-tong. KMT leader, Pcnang 
26.  Ong Kcng-scng.. KMT leader. Pcnang 
27.  Lau Pak-khuan, K..MT leader, Perak 
28.  Hong Siong. KMT leader. Perak 
29.  Lee Hau-shik, KMT leader. Sclangor 
30.  Sir John Anderson. SS ( Straits Sculcmcnts) Governor, 
1903-1910 
31.  Sir Arthur Young. SS Governor, 1911-1919 
32.  Sir Laurence Guillemard. SS Governor, 1920-1927 
33.  Sir Hugh Oifofrd, SS Governor, I 927-1929 
34.  Sir Cecil Clementi, SS Governor, 1930-1934 
35.  Sir Shenton Thomas, SS Governor, 1934-1942 
36.  Sir Franklin Gimson, Singapore Governor, 1947-1951
?· 
./ 
List of Appendices  fi 
fi 
The following appendices arc from Public RC(:ord Office, Kew, 
Richmond. Eng.land. ·crown copyrighl material in the Public RL-cord 
Office is reproduced by permission of the Controller of Her  :I 
Majesty's Stationery Oflicc·. 
' 
A. Sir L N. Guillcmard. Governor. SS (S1r.1i1s Sc11lcmcnts). 
to the Duke of Devonshire. CO (Colonial Oflkc). 
6 Oc<:cmbcr 1922. on a proposal 10 ban the Malayan KMT 
(Kuomintang) branches.  236 
B. Sir Cecil Clementi. Go\'Crnor. SS. to Lord Passflcld of 
Passfield Corner. CO. 25 February 1930, with Enclosure 
No. I. Officc-lkarcrs of the HMHB (British Malaya I-lead 
Brnnch) of the China KMT. February 1930 and Enclosure 
No. 2, Minulcs of the Government House Meeting between 
Clcmcn1i and 17 Officc-lkarcrs of the BMt-m (British 
Malaya Head Branch) or the China KMT.  243 
C. Sir F. Gimson. Governor, Singapore. to the Secretary of 
State for the Colonies, CO. 17 February 1949 (tclcgrnm), 
on a proposal to ban the KMT in Singapore.  253
Abbreviations 
ABH  Ang Bin 1-!uay 
ACCC Associated Chinese Chambers of 
AEBUSO verseas Chinese Anti-Enemy Backing-Up Society 
BMA  British Militarv Administration 
BMHB  British Malay; I-lead Branch of the China KMT 
CAB  Chinese Advisory Board 
CCP Chinese Communist Party 
CDL  China Democratic League 
CID  Criminal Investigation Department 
CMGCCCh inese r-.forchanis' General Chamber of Commerce 
CNEVCC hinese National Emancipation Vangu::ird Corps 
co  Colonial Office 
COD  Central Organization Department of the China KMT 
CP  China Press 
CRP  Chinese Revolutionary Party 
CS.IP  Chung Shi11g Jir Pa11 
l'IR  Fom,ig/11/y lnrrlligl'11ce Re,·it•w 
FMS  Federated Malay States 
FO  Foreign Ollicc 
JMBRAS  Joum  a/ oft he Malaysian /Jranch oft he Royal Asiatic Society 
JSEA/1  Journal ofSomht•aJ·t Asian /lis10ry 
JSEAS  Joumlll ofS o111hcas1 Asian S111dies 
JSSS  Journal of South Seas Socier_v 
KMT  Kuomintang 
KIITP  Kwong Walt )'ik Poh 
LI'  Lat Pau 
MHPI  Malayan B11/Jerill ofP olitical lmelligeuce 
MCA  Malayan Chinese Association 
MCP  Malayan Communist Party 
MCS  Malayan Civil Service 
MIC  Malaysian Indian Congress 
MKJP  .\1111 Kuolih Pao
.-lbbrt'l'/0(/0IU 
MPAC  Malayan Political Ad\·isory Committee 
MPAJA  Malayan People's An1i.Japancsc Army 
M/'IR  Monthly Political lmrllig,,na Rt'port 
MRCA  Mo,ith/)1 Rr1•1c11· of Chi11rs,· AD'airs 
NCJI'  Nari Chiau Ji1 Pao 
NCP  Nanyang Communisl Party 
NDYL  New Democratic Youth League 
NEI  Netherlands East Indies 
NGLU  Nanyang General Labour Union 
Nl'SI'  Na11ra11g Sia11g Pa11 
OAG  Officer Administering Government 
OCAJA  Overseas Chinese Anti•Jupancsc Army 
OCBC  Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd 
P/J  Poli1ica/ 1tu,•lliget1cr Ju11mal 
PMFrU  Pan•Malayan Federation or Trade Unions 
A\IR  Poliriml Momhlr Re,·u•w 
RCA  R,•1·iew of Chtm•sr Affairs 
SsCBcA ccSt raits Chinese British Associa1ion 
Singapore Chinese Chamber or Commerce 
SCJI'  Sin CIU'u, Jir l'oh 
SCMC  Singapore Chinese l\fobilization Council 
SCRFC  Singapore China Relicr Fund Commi11ec 
SCRFU  Southscns China Rclicr Fund Union 
SIS  Special lnvcs1iga1ion Services 
SKMP  Sin A'uo Mm Press 
SMCIYC  San Min Chu I You1h Corps 
SPR  Si11ga1>ore Political Rt•port 
SS  Straits Sculemcnls 
SSGG  S1rairs Seuh•m,•111:i· Gun•r11111,•111 Ga:t'IIC' 
ST  S1rairs T111u•s 
TMH T'ung t\fong Mui (1he Revolutionary League) 
UMNO  United Malars National Organization 
UMS  Unfodcratcd Malay States 
WIR  Weekly Intelligence Review 
WO  War Office 
YKP  l'ik Kh11a11 Poli