as the British Resident in 1937. The resident attempted to postpone and sabotage Ahmad Tajuddin's coronation ceremony and this infuriated the Sultan. This caused the resident to be replaced by Ernest Edgar Pengilly on 1 January 1940. Due to the frustration that Graham Black had caused, he was not given a farewell ceremony by the Sultan as he usually did for other residents. Ahmad Tajuddin and his family began to feel uneasy with the out distribution of Brunei's wealth from oil exports and for that reason, he encouraged the British government to ease financial regulations for the people of Brunei. In an attempt to suppress the Sultan, his living allowance was raised from $1,000 to $1,500 in 1934, and again was again given an increase of $500 a month in 1938. The Government of the United Kingdom gifted him a car in 1939. The coronation of Ahmad Tajuddin as Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan Negara was held on 17 March 1940. Before that, he recited the Qur'an at the Istana Mahkota on 9 November 1939. In conjunction with his coronation ceremony, King George VI bestowed on him the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG). Since the 1940s, the Sultan has not attended the State Assembly as a sign of protest against the British resident. He urged the British to accept Bruneians into higher positions of the Brunei Administrative Service (BAS) in order to train and give experiences to local population. For the first time ever in 1941, 25 locals were appointed to serve in the government bureaucracy. Second World War With the likelihood of war with the Empire of Japan increasing, in 1941, the British began to encourage the establishment of local defence forces in Brunei, and neighbouring Sarawak and Borneo. Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin approved the establishment of the Brunei Volunteer Force and Special Police Force to assist the British in stopping the Japanese invasion of Brunei. An estimated 200 Bruneians initially volunteered, but by the time of the invasion few remained and no Allied troops were stationed in Brunei. The Sultan was appointed an Honorary Colonel of the force. After the surrender to the Japanese in December 1941, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin was forced to hand over his powers to the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese continued to recognise the Sultan as the head of the Islamic religion and the Royal Customs so long as he co-operated with