The origins of the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century. Some Chinese leaders initiated clan guilds a.k.a. clan associations (Hui Kuan) and established the highest Chinese leadership. On one hand, Loke Yew first pledged 50,000 Straits dollars, and on the other hand, he and Captain Yap Kwan Seng jointly applied to the government for the land. As a result, the Chinese Assembly Hall was gradually founded. However, affected by the First World War and the global economic recession, the plan was forced to be shelved for many years. After the economic recovery in 1923, the overseas Chinese leaders convened the Selangor Overseas Chinese Conference at the Selangor Tin Mines General Administration (雪兰莪锡矿总局) to discuss the formation of a Chinese associations body. Eventually, they proposed to name the building, Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH), which received unanimous approval from all the Chinese leaders.

KLSCAH is an alliance of Chinese communities in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Before the establishment of The Federation Of Chinese Associations (Hua Zong) of Malaysia, KLSCAH was also the contact centre of the Chinese Assembly Halls and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in all states across the country. KLSCAH belongs to all Chinese, and it is a leading organisation of Chinese communities that serves the country and society, representing all Chinese on important issues. Since KLSCAH is located at the centre of the capital of the nation’s political, economic, cultural and educational policies, it has a large number of talents and is more convenient to gather for business. It has naturally become the state hall since the successful launch and planning of the National Chinese Cultural Congress in 1983. As the “de facto leader”, whether in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur or across the country, the KLSCAH has a certain degree of representativeness and prestige. Therefore, when implementing the conference policy, and promoting work and activities, we have formulated clear policies that correspond with our leadership position, and we should pay close attention to and implement these policies to enhance and solidify a leadership image, giving full play to its due Influence. In 2007, in conjunction with the celebration of the 50th year of Malaya’s independence, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Cultural Heritage of Malaysia officially announced on July 6 that the building of the temple was listed as the first batch of national cultural heritage. KLSCAH is also the first group to win this honour amongst Chinese community buildings in the country.

In 2003, a Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall (KLCAH), initiated by Liew Poon Siak and other directors, was approved by local authorities in just a few days. As this dealt a severe blow to our legacy (back then, as Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH), we immediately held an emergency board meeting to discuss countermeasures. Subsequently, the board of directors reached a consensus and resolution in accordance with the general meeting. Our organisation’s registrar filed to declare that we and the Chinese community opposed the establishment of this KLCAH, and demanded to cancel its registration. However, the appeal was eventually rejected. Subsequently, in 2006, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) approved the name change of our SCAH. Since then, the name will be changed from “Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall” to “Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall” (thus now abbreviated as “KLSCAH”). In 2016, a group of clan association members successfully obtained the approval of the ROS to establish the “Federal Territory Chinese Assembly Hall”. With the slogan “Protect a legacy of clan guilds and eliminate the unhealthy divide of Chinese communities”, KLSCAH initiated the “Complete opposition towards the establishment of the Federal Territory Chinese Assembly Hall”. The awareness created by media reports and exchanges has made the public more aware of the potential threat to our legacy and has thus far received respect and praise from many local Chinese community leaders and clan associations.