1. Business History: Malaya’s Chinese Business Networks
2. Local and Regional Historical Research
3. Reconstruction of Southeast Asian Histories and British Colonial Files

WORKING EXPERIENCE

PRESENT POSITION

16/3/2020 – present
Vice Dean cum Assistant Professor, Graduate School, New Era University College.

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT

1/6/2019 – 13/3/2020
Senior Fellow (History), Penang Institute, Penang.

1/6/2011 – 31/5/2019
Fellow & Head, History & Heritage Program, Penang Institute, Penang, Malaysia.

1/3/2010 – 28/2/2011
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Research Cluster of Social & Behavioral Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

1/7/2009 – 28/2/2010
Research Fellow, Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies Malaysia.

2/1/2008 – 31/1/2009
Researcher for Chairman of BOH Plantation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PhD: The Rise and Fall of the Big Five of Penang and their Regional Networks, 1800s – 1900s.

M.A.(Hons): The Foreign Direct Investment of Overseas Chinese (from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia) in Vietnam: Magnitude, Reasons, Trend, and Implication, 1991-1995

Books

2019 From Free Port to Modern Economy: Economic Development & Social Change in Penang (with Chet Singh & Rajah Rasiah) (eds), ISEAS & Penang Institute.

2015 Penang Chinese Commerce in the 19th Century: The Rise and Fall of the Big Five, Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. (Also available in Chinese language/ published by Social Science Academic Press China in 2016)

2013 Biographical Dictionary of Mercantile Personalities of Penang (with Loh Wei Leng, Badriyah Salleh, Mahani Musa, and Marcus Langdon) (eds), Think City and MBRAS.

Chapters in Edited Books

 2023 ‘英殖民档案与文献’ (British Colonial Archives and Documents), in 《马来西亚华人史研究的理论与方法》(Research on the History of Malaysian Chinese: Theories and Methods), China: China Ocean University Press (中国海洋大学出版社)

2022 ‘A Power Broker in Geopolitics of 19th Century Southeast Asia’, in Kua Bak Lim, Lim How Seng and Roney Tan, An Illustrious Heritage: The History of Tan Tock Seng and Family, Singapore: World Scientific. (Also available in Chinese language)

2014 ‘The Penang’s Baba Businesses and Networks: From Regional Dominance to Disintegration and Resurgence/Disappearanc’, in ed. Leo Suryadinata, Peranakan Communities in the Era of Decolonization and Globalization, Singapore: Chinese Heritage Centre and NUS Baba House.

2012 ‘Loh Boon Siew’ in ed. Leo Suryadinat, Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, ISEAS Singapore, 692-694.

Journal Publications

2021 ‘Chinese Merchants and Penang-Eastern Indian Ocean Nexus, 1820s-1890s’, Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies, 2021, 10(1), 59-79.

2016 ‘Hokkien Merchants and the Kian Teik Tong: Economic and Political Influence in Nineteenth-Century Penang and Its Region’, Frontiers of History in China, Volume 11, Number 4, December 2016, 600-627.

2015 ‘19世纪槟城的崛起于繁荣：五大家族的商业网络’ (The Rise and Prosperity of Penang in the 19th Century: Big Five Families’ Business Networks)闽商文化研究 (Journal of Studies on Fujianese Entrepreneurs Culture)， 第2期， 2015， 36-43. (in Chinese)

2014 ‘Family Firms and Brand Products in Malaysia: Originality, Productivity and Sustainability’ Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies (with Terence Gomez), 76-98.

2014 ‘Aceh-Penang Maritime Trade and Chinese Mercantile Networks in the 19th Century”, Archipel 87 (with Lee Kam Hing), 173-202.

2013 ‘Baba Hokkiens, Big Business, and Economic Dominance in Penang and its Region’, Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies, Volume 2, Number 2, 65-76.

2011-12 ‘Uncovering the Myths of Two 19th-century Hokkien Business Personalities in the Straits Settlements’, Chinese Southern Diaspora Studies, Volume.5, 146-156.

2010 ‘More Than a Tea Planter: John Archibald Russell and his Businesses in Malaya 1899-1933, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS), Volume 83, Part 1, 29-51.

2009 ‘Khean Guan Insurance Company and Penang’s Big Five Families, 1855-1911’, Asian Culture (亚洲文化), No.33, June, 56-71.

2007 ‘The Big Five Families in Penang, 1830s-1890s’, Chinese Southern Diaspora Studies, Volume 1, 106-115.

2002 ‘Australian Diplomatic Policy towards the Southeast Asian Region, 1945-1965’, Sejarah: Journal of The Department of History University of Malaya, No.10, 139-158.

2022 2021 ‘Chinese Merchants and Penang-Eastern Indian Ocean Nexus, 1820s-1890s’, Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies, 2021, 10(1), 59-79. (in Chinese)

2008 ‘Penang’s Big Five Families and Southern Siam during the Nineteenth Century’, in ed. Michael J. Montesano and Patrick Jory, Thai South and Malay North: Ethnic Interactions on a Plural Peninsula, NUS Press Singapore, Chapter 8, 201-213. (in Thai)

REVIEW ARTICLES

2020 Book Review on ‘The King’s Chinese: From barber to banker, the story of Yeap Chor Ee and the Straits Chinese, by Daryl Yeap. Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2019’, Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies, 2020, 9(2): 67-70.

2020-present Program Coordinator PhD in ASEAN Studies in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies (New Era University College)

2020- present Award Assessor for Tan Kai Hee and Tan Siow Eng Award

2020- present Grant Assessor for Professor Toh Lam Seng & Professor Chua Ser Koon Research Fund

Member of the Penang’s State Heritage Council, 2023-2025

1 December 2023 ‘National Archive of Malaysia and Malaysian Buddhism Studies’, a presentation given at 马来西亚佛教研究工作坊The Workshop of Malaysia Buddhism Studies, organized by 马来西亚历史云学堂Cloud Academy of Malaysian History.

10 November 2023 ‘The Rise of Cinema Culture in Malayan Towns and Chinese Towkays, 1920s – 1960s，a paper presented at Popular Nanyang: Re-thinking Chinese Cultures in Post-War Singapore and Malaya/Malaysia International Conference “流行南洋：重探战后新马华人的大众文化”国际研讨会,co-organized by the Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), Singapore.

11 October 2023 'The Maritime Trade History of Southern Fujian Merchants: Fujian Merchants in Penang and Kuala Terengganu', a paper presented at “世界海洋文明交流互鉴论坛” 'World Ocean Civilization Exchange and Mutual Learning Forum'. jointly organized by 福州大学、福建省海洋文化研究中心Fuzhou University and the Fujian Provincial Center for Marine Culture Research, Fuzou, China.

5 July 2023 ‘History of Hokkien Migration and Business Networks in Penang’, presented for Penang Hokkien: Our Language, Our Heritage (Penang Heritage Forum Series), organized by Penang State Government.

10 June 2023 ‘19世纪槟城区域与五大姓华商网络’ (The 19th-Century Penang Region and the Big Five Hokkien Families’ Mercantile Networks) presented online for the “中华文化传播与国际影响力” 国际学术研讨会 (International Conference on Chinese Cultural Dissemination and International Influence), organized by 沈阳大学Shenyang University, China.

15 April 2023 ‘马来西亚国家档案局- 有关佛教的英文资料’(National Archive of Malaysia- the Collection of Materials related to Buddhism) presented at 菩提履跡：马来（西）亚第一代佛教人物研究学术研讨会 (Conference on Traces of Bodhi: First Generation Buddhists in British Malaya: A Transnational History)
organized by the Institute of Chinese Studies, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

24 July 2022 ‘历史方法：从传统走向现代’ (Historical Methods: From the Past to Present) presented online for the Chinese History from Theory, Historical Materials to Practice, an academic forum organized by 马来西亚历史云学堂Cloud Academy of Malaysian History 4.0.

19 April 2022 ‘British Colonial Archival Sources and Research on the History of Chinese in Malaya 英殖民档案资料与马来亚华人历史研’, an academic talk organized by Malaysian Chinese Research Center, University of Malaya.

9 March 2022 ‘The Historical Nexus of Two Maritime Port Cities: Kuala Trengganu and Singapore in South China Sea Trade Networks, 1880s - 1930s, in 《东南亚研究系列讲座》, organized by the Department of Southeast Asian Studies, New Era University College

25 August 2021《五大姓华商网络与19世纪槟城区域的崛起》(Big Five Hokkien Families’ Mercantile Networks and the Rise of Penang Region in the 19th Century)《新纪元人文学堂系列1：华商先辈·人文情怀》, an online forum jointly organized by 新纪元大学学院文学与社会科学院 (New Era University College’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) 及东方日报 Oriental Daily)

8 July to 13 July 2019 ‘19 世紀檳城區域: 五大姓福建商人網絡的角色與功能’ (The 19th-century Penang Region: The Role and Function of the Big Five Hokkien families’ Mercantile Networks), a talk presented at the Penang Seminar 2019: When the Wind of the Sinophone Blows (華夷風起：檳城文史研習營).

31 October 2018 ‘Straits Settlements Colonial Records: Reconstruction of Business History of the Penang’s Big Five Hokkien Families’, a talk presented at Fujianese Cultural Research Group of Zhong Hua Research Centre, University of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar Campus, Perak.

24 September 2018 ‘Research on Penang’s Chinese Business History: English Colonial Sources’, a talk presented for Wacana Penyelidikan Sejarah 2018 organized by the Universiti Sains Malaysia.

24-25 April 2018 ‘The Rise of Singkeh Chinese Businessmen and Their Business Networks in Penang, 1900s – 1960s’, a talk presented at the symposium on "Exploring history of Penang as a port city" – organized by Yale-NUS College and Penang Heritage Trust.

18 March 2018 ‘Business Networks and Business Ascendancy of the Hokkien Merchants in the 19th-century Penang Region’, a talk presented to post-graduate students at Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur campus.

23 December, 2017 ‘Mercantile Networks and Economic Ascendency of the Hokkien Merchantsin the 19th-century Penang Region’, a talk presented at International Seminar on Maritime Southeast Asia from Historical Perspective, CSEAS, Kyoto University.

17-19 December 2014. ‘Baba Hokkien Merchants and Kian Teik Tong: Socioeconomic Dominance and Political Influence in the 19th-century Penang and Its Region’, a paper presented at the international conference on “Secret Societies and Popular Movements in Chinese and Southeast Asian History” University of Macau.

27 September, 2013 ‘Penang’s Baba Businesses and Networks: From Regional Dominance to Disintegration and Resurgence/Disappearance’, a paper presented at the international conference on ‘Peranakan Communities in the Era of Decolonization and Globalization’ co-organized by Baba House (NUS), Chinese Heritage Centre and National Library Singapore.

9 to 12 September 2012.Resource person for the members of The University of Hong Kong Museum Society Tour in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

July 2012. ‘Penang’s Chinese Diaspora: Baba Hokkiens, Big Business, Kongsis, and Regional Networks, 1800s – 1900s’, a lecture delivered to 2012 Fulbright U.S. Scholars to Penang at Penang Heritage Trust.

14 March 2012 ‘Penang Hokkien Merchants and Indian Ocean’, a paper presented for the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Lecture Series, organized by Nalanda Sriwijaya Centre, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore.

18-19 February, 2006 ‘The Big Five Families in Penang, 1830s-1890s’, a paper presented at the conference on ‘The Second Water Frontier Workshop’, organized by Centre for the Study of the Chinese Southern Diaspora of the Australian National University in Phuket, Thailand.

Member of Editorial Board, Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies.

Article reviewer for Asian Culture, Journal of Southern Chinese Diaspora Studies, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Translocal Chinese: East Asian Perspective.

1. 7/2020-2/2024 First Generation Buddhists in British Malaya: A Transnational History
   This is a research project sponsored by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation and undertaken by the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. There are 11 researchers from different universities involved. It aims to promote research on trans-national history and religion in Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia. Researchers are expected to produce journal articles and book chapters.
    
2. 2018-2019 Book on History of Penang Hill
   The Penang Hill book project seeks to reconstruct the history of Penang Hill from 1786 to 1966.This project intends to do research and collect data on the history of Penang Hill for producing a book titled Penang Hill: The Making of a Vantage Point, 1786-1966. Grants up to RM50,000 are provided to support this project.
    
3. 2018-2019 Towns of Malaya
   This project seeks to research and collect data on the existing and often, smaller towns throughout Malaysia in the preservation and dissemination of their rich history. It covers most, if not the major small towns throughout the Peninsula. The research on six towns has been completed and the findings have been published as short articles in Penang Monthly, a monthly magazine. The funding of this two-year project amounts to approximately RM15,000.
    
4. 2010-2013 Biographical Dictionary of Mercantile Personalities of Penang
   This project aimed to collect and compile the information on the major mercantile personalities of Penang from the late eighteenth century to the post-independent period in order to produce a comprehensive and informative biographical dictionary. It served to amplify and augment the information contained in contemporary literature such as Historical Personalities of Penang. More importantly, this research project would provide a solid knowledge base for the study of the roles of the mercantile community in Penang in social, economic, political and cultural developments not only in Penang but also Malaysia and Southeast Asia as a whole. This personalities-based approach can unravel sufficient detail to illuminate the various dimensions of Penang’s multicultural and rich history of its cosmopolitan beginnings. The project was funded by Think City Sdn. Bhd. of Penang. The funding for this two-year project amounted to RM260,000. The outcome of this research project was published in a book by Think City and Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (MBRAS) in 2013.
    
5. 2008-2009 History of Inter-Ethnic Business Relations in a Diaspora Space: Russell Family’s Businesses in Malaya as a case study
   This project aimed to explore the business history of John Archibald Russell, the founder of the oldest and largest tea-planting company – Boh Plantations in Malaysia, in the colonial period. It was funded by Datuk Tristan B. Russell, the current Chairman of Boh Tea Plantations Sdn. Bhd. The funding, amounting to RM65,000, involved setting up a family business archive. The findings of this research project were published in 2010 issue of Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.

March – May 2023 Research on Penang’ Historical Personality: Lim Mah Chye.

July – September 2021 Research and Writing on the History of Carcosa and Sri Negara.