69

This article examines the origins and development of Chinese diasporic philanthropy with a focus on British Malaya from the late nineteenth century until the end of the Second World War in 1945. The article shows howtransnational philanthropy, focused on the China homeland, functioned as an important source of social and cultural capital for Chinese migrants seeking to claim leadership in local and pan-Chinese communities, stake identity claims, and articulate political and cultural loyalties.