Klan Choo Juhn Khai 朱俊凯

Education：
B.A., Xiamen University Malaysia
M.A., Xiamen University Malaysia

Research Interests:
Overseas Chinese studies; Chinese Folk Religions; Southeast Asian History

Self-Introduction:
I am from Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. I obtained both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Xiamen University Malaysia. After completing my Master’s degree, I served as a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Research of Southeast Asian Chinese Documents at Xiamen University Malaysia, where I conducted research on the history of the Chinese diaspora, Chinese temples in Southeast Asia, and Chinese popular religion.

Currently, under the supervision of Prof. Kenneth Dean, my research examines the formation of Chinese networks and power structures, and their role in the political and economic transformation of British Malaya.

Thesis Advisor: Prof Kenneth Dean, A/P Kwee Hui Kian

Thesis Title: Institutions, Culture, and Community Interaction: The Changing Political Economy of Malacca and the Role of Chinese Business Elites (1820s–1920s)

Thesis Research Area:
This study focuses on Malacca between the 1820s and 1920s, examining the formation and development of Chinese commercial and social networks in the context of the region’s changing political economy. Particular attention is given to the roles of Chinese business elites, community leaders, temples, associations, and other local institutions in mediating relations between the Chinese community, colonial authorities, and wider regional society. By tracing these networks across successive phases of economic transformation, the study investigates how Chinese actors negotiated power, organised economic activities, and shaped local social and political relations in colonial Malacca.