During the invasion of mainland China, the Japanese army discovered from the “Overseas Chinese Affairs Archives” that the Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia were the largest financial supporters of the China’s Nanjing government. They realized that only by cutting off donations from these Overseas Chinese could they prevent the Nanjing government from receiving overseas financial support. The only way to achieve this was to launch the Pacific War and conquer Southeast Asian countries, thereby severing the continuous support to the Chinese government from behind. On the other hand, the Japanese army coveted the rich resources of Malaya, which was a major reason for Japan’s southward expansion. In particular, Malaya’s rubber and tin mines were exactly the resources lacking in Japan.

Within a week after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, on July 13, the Muar Engchoon Association convened the Engchoon community and formed a “Chinese Refugee Relief Committee,” immediately launching a fundraising campaign among the Engchoon community. In a short time, they raised 10,000 Straits dollars. On July 15 and 19, they respectively remitted a total of 20,350 Chinese National dollars to the Central Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China. This was the first batch of relief funds from the Overseas Chinese in Nanyang to reach China. Subsequently, various relief committees across the country organized and planned fundraising efforts, in which Engchoon people everywhere participated without hesitation.

In 1937, the fiscal deficit of the Chinese National Government had reached as high as 80%. During this period, the war against Japan had just begun, and the National Government faced the problem of an empty treasury, unable to bear the huge military expenses. On August 30, 1937, the National Defense Supreme Committee of the Kuomintang formulated the “General Mobilization Plan Outline” in Nanjing: “Issue National Salvation Bonds, encouraging domestic people and overseas Chinese to purchase them to finance the military. Subsequently, various types of bonds were issued across the country, including National Salvation Bonds, Military Necessity Bonds, Allied Victory Bonds, and Public Welfare Savings Bonds, as well as construction bonds for road and dam building. According to statistics, during the war period, the National Government issued a total of 18 types of bonds, amounting to 15 billion yuan in legal tender, 1 billion yuan in customs gold units, 10 million pounds sterling, and 200 million US dollars.”

To support the war effort, in 1937, the Engchoon Anti-Enemy Support Committee actively promoted the purchase of National Salvation Bonds, receiving significant support from overseas Chinese. Huang Chongji generously donated a large sum and purchased National Salvation Bonds without hesitation. He was then known as the leading philanthropist among the Chinese communities in the four prefectures. During the annual meeting of the Kuala Lumpur Engchoon Association on December 19, 1937, it was unanimously decided to use the 3,195 yuan raised for relief to purchase Chinese Freedom Bonds. By September 21, 1938, the Kuala Lumpur Engchoon Association had accumulated 6,500 yuan in Freedom Bonds. All these bonds were handed over to the Selangor Chinese Relief Fund to be donated as relief funds for disabled and wounded soldiers in China.

During the time when Tan Kah Kee organized and led the “South Seas Overseas Chinese Relief General Association”, several leaders of the Kuala Lumpur Engchoon community actively participated in the relief work. Chen Shixiang served as the main person in charge of the Jialai District 9 Relief Committee, successively holding positions as treasurer and chairman. Lin Bangling responded to Tan Kah Kee’s call, joining the Kuala Lumpur Relief Committee and actively involved in fundraising. Zheng Xiangxian not only purchased National Salvation Bonds but also regularly paid monthly and miscellaneous donations. He made significant contributions when the Wuhan Choir and New China Theatre Troupe came for charity performances, and his son Zheng Guozhen served as a standing committee member of the Negeri Sembilan Chinese Relief Committee.