The predecessor of the Associated Eng Choon Societies of Malaysia was the “Eng Choon Association of Nanyang”, established in Singapore in 1928. At that time, there were not many Eng Choon associations across the country, and due to inconvenient of transportation and slow delivery of messages, the association could not fully integrate the Eng Choon communities in Malaya. During the three years and eight months of the Japanese occupation that beginning in 1941, all Chinese community activities nearly came to a halt. Some community leaders had called for local Chinese support for China’s anti-Japanese movement during the Japanese invasion in China. They not only had leaded the local fund generating activities, also had launched movement of boycott Japanese goods. Thus, upon arrival of Japanese army in Malaya, they were the key target of the Japanese army. Consequently, after World War II, most Chinese associations were struggling to survive and took several years to recover. During this period, the “Eng Choon Association of Nanyang” was essentially existed in name only.

The Kuala Lumpur Eng Choon Hoey Kuan re-elected its first post-war board of directors in 1947, its operation was gradually getting back on track. Additionally, the Chinese Civil War was nearing at its end, with the Kuomintang retreating to Taiwan in 1949 and the People’s Republic of China being established by the Communist Party. This not only caused international political changes but also forced overseas Chinese to choose their nationality between their homeland and their place of residence. Under the Emergency Ordinance of 1948, many Chinese were forced to return to China. Shortly after the Communist Party took power in China, many Chinese with relatives in overseas chose to leave China and settle abroad.

After the Japanese army left, Malaya began brewing its independence movement. Through negotiations, the British government made concessions and planned to transfer power to an alliance formed by UMNO (United Malays National Organization), MCA (Malayan Chinese Association), and MIC (Malayan Indian Congress). Before Malaya’s independence, the MCA launched a citizenship application movement to ensure that the Chinese who chose to stay could obtain Malayan citizenship. After Malaya’s independence in 1957, the Chinese who remained in Malaya had essentially abandoned their homeland in terms of national identity. Many clan associations were established during this period, including those of the Eng Choon clan, which formed organizations around the time of independence. The primary reason was that the first generation of immigrants realized that the possibility of returning to their homeland during their lifetime was slim. While reminiscing about their hometown, they could only consider the foreign land as their new home. They called upon their clan members to build family temples and replicate the clan culture of their ancestral land, using traditional cultural resources from their hometown to reconstruct the community.

On April 7, 1957, the Kuala Lumpur Eng Choon Hoey Kuan held its annual meeting. During the session for temporary motions, Lin Lianyu proposed the organization of a permanent institution for the Pan-Malayan Eng Choon Association. It was decided that pioneers like Li Yannian, Lin Bangling, Huang Zhigui, Chen Xiqi, and Zheng Di would be responsible for drafting the proposal. The establishment of the Associated Eng Choon Societies of Malaysia occurred in the year of Malaya’s independence, in response to the changing times. Many local Eng Choon people had applied to become local citizens. Given the large number of Eng Choon compatriots and the existence of more than twenty Eng Choon associations across the country, it was deemed necessary to unite the clan and consolidate community strength to ensure the Eng Choon community’s foothold in this land. The Associated Eng Choon Societies of Malaysia was finally founded on May 4, 1957, with representatives from 22 units and more than a hundred attendees. Li Yannian, president of The Kuala Lumpur Eng Choon Hoey Kuan, was elected as the first chairman of the board. Lin Bangling served as vice chairman, Zheng Di as treasurer, Huang Zhigui as general affairs officer, and Lin Lianyu as secretary. Most of the important positions on the board were held by representatives from the Kuala Lumpur Eng Choon Hoey Kuan, highlighting its significance during the association’s establishment.