title: Princess Cruises

text: In July 2018, Princess signed a memorandum of agreement with Fincantieri for the construction of two new 175,000 GT ships that will be primarily powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ships will become the largest vessels built in Italy and commissioned for Princess as well as the first in the fleet to run on LNG. The final contract was signed in March 2019, ushering in the development of the ships. Princess will become the fifth Carnival Corporation brand to operate ships running on LNG upon the first ship's delivery in late-2023.


title: Princess Cruises

text: In 2020, Princess will part ways with a "Grand"-class ship, "Golden Princess", for the first time, as she transfers to P&O Cruises Australia, debuting in their fleet in October 2020. "Star Princess", the second "Grand"-class ship to leave, will transfer to the same cruise line and debut in November 2021. On September 18, 2020, Princess officially sold off the remaining two ships of the Sun Class, Sun Princess which was sold to Peace boat and became the Pacific World. Sea Princess was sold to Sanya International Cruise Development as of September 18, 2020 and became the MS Charming.


title: Princess Cruises

text: Princess Cruises was involved in litigation with General Electric in 1998 over consequential damages and lost profits resulting from a contract the two parties entered into. General Electric was to provide inspection and repair services upon the SS "Sky Princess". Upon noticing surface rust on the turbine rotor, the vessel was brought ashore for cleaning and balancing, but good metal was unintentionally removed. This destabilized the rotor, forcing Princess Cruises to cancel two 10-day cruises while additional work was performed. Princess originally prevailed, being awarded nearly $4.6 million. On appeal, however, the judgement was reversed in favor of General Electric, and Princess Cruises only recovered the price of the contract, less than $232,000.


title: Princess Cruises

text: On August 26, 2013, the crew of "Caribbean Princess" deliberately discharged 4,227gallons of oil-contaminated waste off the southern coast of England. The discharge involved the illegal modification of the vessel's on-board pollution control systems, and was photographed by a newly hired engineer. When the ship subsequently berthed at Southampton, the engineer resigned his position and reported the discharge to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. An investigation launched by the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) found that the practice had been taking place on "Caribbean Princess" and four other Princess ships – "Star Princess", "Grand Princess", "Coral Princess", and "Golden Princess" – since 2005.


title: Princess Cruises

text: In December 2016, Princess agreed to plead guilty to seven felony charges and pay a $40 million penalty. The charges related to illegal discharges off the coasts of Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As part of the agreement, cruise ships from eight Carnival companies, including Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, are required to operate for five years under a court-supervised environmental compliance plan with independent audits and a court-appointed monitor. The fine was the "largest-ever criminal penalty involving deliberate vessel pollution."


title: Princess Cruises

text: For violation of the probation terms of 2016, Carnival Corporation and Princess were ordered to pay an additional $20 million penalty in 2019. The new violations included discharging plastic into waters in the Bahamas, falsifying records, and interfering with court supervision.


title: Princess Cruises

text: During the COVID-19 pandemic, several ships from the cruise line became major clusters of infection of the disease, including "Diamond Princess" and "Ruby Princess", spreading it around the world. By February, 712 cases had developed on "Diamond Princess", of which 11 eventually died. This drew worldwide attention and led to several countries repatriating their citizens from the ship. Shortly before the disease was declared a pandemic, and with over 2700 passengers on board, "Ruby Princess" sailed into international waters despite a global increase of confirmed cases of COVID-19. By mid April, there were 852 confirmed cases among Australian passengers alone, and 21 deaths. The subsequent discharge of infected passengers into Australia worsened the national pandemic in the country and caused a humanitarian crisis.


title: Princess Cruises

text: The vast majority of all cruise lines's sailings were under suspension in late 2020. As of 6 January 2021, all Princess sailings were cancelled to at least 14 May 2021, according to an industry news item.


title: VR6 engine

text: VR6 engines are V6 piston engines with a narrow angle between the cylinder banks and a single cylinder head covering both banks of cylinders.


title: VR6 engine

text: Volkswagen Group introduced the first VR6 engine in 1991 and VR6 engines currently remain in production. From 1997 to 2006, Volkswagen also produced a five-cylinder VR5 engine based on the VR6.


title: VR6 engine

text: The name VR6 comes from the German initials for a V engine (German: "V-Motor") and a straight (inline) engine (German: "Reihenmotor"), therefore the VR engine is described as a "Vee-Inline engine" (VR-Motor).


title: VR6 engine

text: VR6 engines share a common cylinder head for the two banks of cylinders. Only two camshafts are needed for the engine, regardless of whether the engine has two or four valves per cylinder. This simplifies engine construction and reduces costs.


title: VR6 engine

text: Since the cylinders are not located on the centreline of the combined cylinder head, the lengths of the intake and exhaust ports are different for each bank. Without compensation, these varying port lengths would result in the two banks of cylinders producing different amounts of power at a particular engine RPM. The difference in port lengths are compensated for with the length of the runners in the intake manifold, the camshaft overlap and lift profile, or a combination thereof.


title: VR6 engine

text: The Volkswagen VR6 engine was designed for transverse engine installations in front-wheel drive vehicles. The narrow angle of 15° between the two cylinder banks reduced the width of the engine, compared to a traditional V6 engine. Therefore, the VR6 engine is easier to fit within an engine bay that was originally designed for a four-cylinder engine.


title: VR6 engine

text: Early VR6 engines had two valves per cylinder (for a total of twelve valves) and used one camshaft for the intake and exhaust valves of each cylinder bank (without the use of rockers).


title: VR6 engine

text: The first Volkswagen VR6 engine uses the AAA version. It had a bore of and a stroke of , for a total displacement of . In 1994, a ABV version was introduced in some European countries, with an increased bore of .


title: VR6 engine

text: The V angle between the cylinder banks is 15°, and the compression ratio is 10:1. The crankshaft runs in seven main bearings and the journals are offset 22° to one another, in order to accommodate the offset cylinder placement. This also allows the use of a 120° firing interval between cylinders. The firing order is: 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4. The centerline of the cylinders are offset from the centerline of the crankshaft by .


title: VR6 engine

text: The valve sizes are for the intake and for the exhaust. Since the two 'rows' of pistons and cylinders share a single cylinder head and head gasket, the piston crown (or top surface) is tilted. The engine management system is Bosch Motronic.


title: VR6 engine

text: A version with four valves per cylinder (for a total of 24 valves) was introduced in 1999. The 24-valve versions use one camshaft for the intake valves of both banks (using rockers to reach the furthest bank) and the other camshaft for the exhaust valves of both banks (again, through the use of rockers). This operating principle is more akin to a double overhead camshaft (DOHC) design, with one camshaft for intake valves, and one for exhaust valves.


title: VR6 engine

text: The first versions of the VR6 engine were introduced in the 1991 Volkswagen Passat B3 sedan and Volkswagen Corrado coupe. A AAA version producing was used in most Passat models and in the North American version of the Corrado. A ABV version producing was used in the "Passat Syncro" model and the European version of the Corrado. Both versions used 2 valves per cylinder. Usage of the VR6 engine spread to the Volkswagen Golf Mk3 "2.8 VR6" and Volkswagen Vento/Jetta (A3) "2.8 VR6" models in 1992. The 2.8 litre version was also used in the 1996-2003 Mercedes-Benz Vito (W638) commercial vans, where it was designated as 'M104.900'.


title: VR6 engine

text: An AQP/AUE version with 4 valves per cylinder was introduced in 2000. This engine produced , and mostly replaced the 2 valve engines, except for in North America where an updated version of the 2 valve engine was used in the Golf and Jetta from 2000 to 2002.


title: VR6 engine

text: A EA390 version of the 4 valve engine was introduced in the 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle "RSi" model. This 3.2 litre engine was also used in the 2002-2004 Volkswagen Golf Mk4 "R32" model and the 2003-2010 Audi TT "3.2 VR6 quattro" models. Peak power output was in the New Beetle and Golf (engine code BFH/BML), and in the Audi TT (engine code BHE).


title: VR6 engine

text: The engine size was again increased in 2005, when a version with gasoline direct injection (FSI) was introduced in the Volkswagen Passat (B6). This BLV version uses a narrower 10.6 degree angle between the cylinder banks and produces . A AXZ version producing was introduced in 2006. In 2008, an uprated "BWS" version of the 3.6 litre engine producing was introduced in the Volkswagen Passat (B6) "R36" model.


title: VR6 engine

text: The base model Porsche Cayenne (9PA) used 3.2-liter VR6 engine from 2003 to 2006 and then a 3.6-litre VR6 engine from 2008 to 2010. Then the next generation Porsche Cayenne (92A) also used a 3.6-litre VR6 engine from 2010 to 2018.


title: VR6 engine

text: Volkswagen had started to phase out VR engines in favour of downsized turbocharged engines, however the VR6 currently remains in production for the Volkswagen Passat (NMS) sedan models sold in China. In 2017, the VR6 engines made an unexpected comeback, with versions of the 24-valve VR6 engines being produced for the Volkswagen Atlas. Volkswagen also made brand new VR6 (still EA390) for Chinese market only, it's 2,5Litre Turbocharged 24v VR6 and 500 nm of torque for Volkswagen Teramont SUV and new Volkswagen Talagon MPV


title: VR6 engine

text: Volkswagen Group has produced several 'W engines' based on combining two VR engines on a common crankshaft. The first W engine to reach production was the W12 engine which has been produced since 2001. The W12 engine is constructed from two VR6 engines mated together at an angle of 72 degrees. Although Volkswagen has not produced a VR4 engine, nonetheless it briefly produced a W8 engine from 2001 to 2004.


title: VR6 engine

text: The largest Volkswagen W engine is the W16 engine introduced on the Bugatti Veyron in 2005. This engine uses an angle of 90 degrees between the two VR8 engines, and has four turbochargers.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: The adrenergic receptors or adrenoceptors are a class of G protein-coupled receptors that are targets of many catecholamines like norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline) produced by the body, but also many medications like beta blockers, beta-2 (β) agonists and alpha-2 (α) agonists, which are used to treat high blood pressure and asthma, for example.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: Many cells have these receptors, and the binding of a catecholamine to the receptor will generally stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, which is triggered by experiences such as exercise or fear-causing situations. This response dilates pupils, increases heart rate, mobilizes energy, and diverts blood flow from non-essential organs to skeletal muscle. These effects together tend to increase physical performance momentarily.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: By the turn of the 19th century, it was agreed that the stimulation of sympathetic nerves could cause different effects on body tissues, depending on the conditions of stimulation (such as the presence or absence of some toxin). Over the first half of the 20th century, two main proposals were made to explain this phenomenon:


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: The first hypothesis was championed by Walter Bradford Cannon and Arturo Rosenblueth, who interpreted many experiments to then propose that there were two neurotransmitter substances, which they called sympathin E (for 'excitation') and sympathin I (for 'inhibition').


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: The second hypothesis found support from 1906 to 1913, when Henry Hallett Dale explored the effects of adrenaline (which he called adrenine at the time), injected into animals, on blood pressure. Usually, adrenaline would increase the blood pressure of these animals. Although, if the animal had been exposed to ergotoxine, the blood pressure decreased. He proposed that the ergotoxine caused "selective paralysis of motor myoneural junctions" (i.e. those tending to increase the blood pressure) hence revealing that under normal conditions that there was a "mixed response", including a mechanism that would relax smooth muscle and cause a fall in blood pressure. This "mixed response", with the same compound causing either contraction or relaxation, was conceived of as the response of different types of junctions to the same compound.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: This line of experiments were developed by several groups, including DT Marsh and colleagues, who in February 1948 showed that a series of compounds structurally related to adrenaline could also show either contracting or relaxing effects, depending on whether or not other toxins were present. This again supported the argument that the muscles had two different mechanisms by which they could respond to the same compound. In June of that year, Raymond Ahlquist, Professor of Pharmacology at Medical College of Georgia, published a paper concerning adrenergic nervous transmission. In it, he explicitly named the different responses as due to what he called α receptors and β receptors, and that the only sympathetic transmitter was adrenaline. While the latter conclusion was subsequently shown to be incorrect (it is now known to be noradrenaline), his receptor nomenclature and concept of "two different types of detector mechanisms for a single neurotransmitter", remains. In 1954, he was able to incorporate his findings in a textbook, "Drill's Pharmacology in Medicine", and thereby promulgate the role played by α and β receptor sites in the adrenaline/noradrenaline cellular mechanism. These concepts would revolutionise advances in pharmacotherapeutic research, allowing the selective design of specific molecules to target medical ailments rather than rely upon traditional research into the efficacy of pre-existing herbal medicines.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: G and G are linked to adenylyl cyclase. Agonist binding thus causes a rise in the intracellular concentration of the second messenger (G inhibits the production of cAMP) cAMP. Downstream effectors of cAMP include cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), which mediates some of the intracellular events following hormone binding.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: Epinephrine (adrenaline) reacts with both α- and β-adrenoreceptors, causing vasoconstriction and vasodilation, respectively. Although α receptors are less sensitive to epinephrine, when activated at pharmacologic doses, they override the vasodilation mediated by β-adrenoreceptors because there are more peripheral α receptors than β-adrenoreceptors. The result is that high levels of circulating epinephrine cause vasoconstriction. However, the opposite is true in the coronary arteries, where β response is greater than that of α, resulting in overall dilation with increased sympathetic stimulation. At lower levels of circulating epinephrine (physiologic epinephrine secretion), β-adrenoreceptor stimulation dominates since epinephrine has a higher affinity for the β adrenoreceptor than the α adrenoreceptor, producing vasodilation followed by decrease of peripheral vascular resistance.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: Smooth muscle behavior is variable depending on anatomical location. Smooth muscle contraction/relaxation is generalized below. One important note is the differential effects of increased cAMP in smooth muscle compared to cardiac muscle. Increased cAMP will promote relaxation in smooth muscle, while promoting increased contractility and pulse rate in cardiac muscle.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: α receptors have actions in common, but also individual effects. Common (or still receptor unspecified) actions include:


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: Subtype unspecific α agonists (see actions above) can be used to treat rhinitis (they decrease mucus secretion). Subtype unspecific α antagonists can be used to treat pheochromocytoma (they decrease vasoconstriction caused by norepinephrine).


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: α-adrenoreceptors are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Upon activation, a heterotrimeric G protein, G, activates phospholipase C (PLC). The PLC cleaves phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP), which in turn causes an increase in inositol triphosphate (IP) and diacylglycerol (DAG). The former interacts with calcium channels of endoplasmic and sarcoplasmic reticulum, thus changing the calcium content in a cell. This triggers all other effects, including a prominent slow after depolarizing current (sADP) in neurons.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: Actions of the α receptor mainly involve smooth muscle contraction. It causes vasoconstriction in many blood vessels, including those of the skin, gastrointestinal system, kidney (renal artery) and brain. Other areas of smooth muscle contraction are:


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: Actions also include glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis from adipose tissue and liver; secretion from sweat glands and Na reabsorption from kidney.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: The α receptor couples to the G protein. It is a presynaptic receptor, causing negative feedback on, for example, norepinephrine (NE). When NE is released into the synapse, it feeds back on the α receptor, causing less NE release from the presynaptic neuron. This decreases the effect of NE. There are also α receptors on the nerve terminal membrane of the post-synaptic adrenergic neuron.


title: Adrenergic receptor

text: β agonists could theoretically be used as weight-loss drugs, but are limited by the side effect of tremors.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (; 8 February 19036 December 1990) was a Malaysian statesman and lawyer who served as the 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia and the head of government of its predecessor states from 1955 to 1970. He was the first chief minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 to 1957. He supervised the independence process that culminated on 31 August 1957. As Malaya's first prime minister he dominated politics there for the next 13 years. In 1963, he successfully incorporated the Federation of Malaya, British North Borneo (renamed Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore into the state of Malaysia. However, tensions between the Malay and Chinese communities resulted in Singapore's expulsion in 1965. His poor performance during race riots in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 led to his resignation in 1970. Commonly known simply as "Tunku" (a Malay royal title), Tunku Abdul Rahman is widely regarded, even by his critics, as Malaysia's "founding father", the architect of Malayan independence and of the formation of Malaysia. As such, he is often referred to as Father of Independence ("Bapa Kemerdekaan") or Father of Malaysia ("Bapa Malaysia").


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903, at Istana Pelamin Palace in Alor Setar, Kedah, the seventh son and one of 45 children of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the twenty-sixth ruler of the Kedah Sultanate. Tunku's mother was Cik Menyelara (Nueang Nandanagara), a Thai, and the sixth wife of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah; she was the daughter of Luang Naraborirak (Kleb Nandanagara), a district officer in Thailand. At that time, cholera and malaria were very common all over Kedah and at least two of Tunku's brothers and his older sister died from cholera while Tunku himself suffered from intermittent attacks of malaria until he left for London in 1920.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: He received early education at the Alor Setar Malay Primary School before furthering his studies at the government English school, Sultan Abdul Hamid College. He and his fellow siblings were later sent by his parents to Debsirin School in Bangkok. He returned home in 1915 to continue his education at the Penang Free School.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: When Tunku was 17, he won the Kedah State Government scholarship to further his studies at Cambridge University.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: After about a year, Tunku realised that he was making very little progress in his studies. After a meeting with Mr. Ezekiel, his guardian, in the office of the Crown Agents, Ezekiel arranged for Tunku to move to Cambridge and to be taught by and live with Basil Atkinson. Atkinson was an experienced tutor and he also prepared Tunku to sit in a university entrance examination known as "


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Little Go". The following year, he took the entrance exams and he obtained high marks for all his papers with a Pass for the whole examination. He was accepted as an undergraduate at St Catharine's College, one of the colleges of the University of Cambridge, and graduated with a bachelor's degree of Arts in Law and History in 1925.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Five years after sailing from Singapore, at the age of 23, he sailed home. The Crown Agents secured Tunku a berth in a passenger ship, which stopped at Penang. Tunku Ibrahim, the Regent, and his eldest brother was unhappy with Tunku's choice of degrees and he ordered Tunku to return to England to be admitted to the English Bar. On Tunku's initiative, the Malay Society of Great Britain was formed, with Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan (later the 1st Yang Di-Pertuan Agong) as president and Tunku Abdul Rahman of Kedah as Honorary Secretary and the driving force.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In January 1931, Tunku was appointed a Cadet in the Kedah Civil Service. Later, he was transferred to Kulim as Assistant District Officer. In Kulim, Tunku devoted much of his time touring the district and getting to know the problems of the peasants who made up 90% of the population. Tunku also devoted some of his time to prepare for Cadet's Law exam to qualify for the promotion. He took the exams and passed them on his first attempt.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: About a year later, Tunku was promoted to be District Officer of Padang Terap. The post of District Officer of Padang Terap was unpopular because Kuala Nerang was rife with malaria. As soon as Tunku took over the district, he gave orders for a survey to be made of the swamps which bordered the town, obtained an estimate for draining them, and applied to the State Secretariat for the necessary funds. Unfortunately, Tunku's plea for funds was rejected. He wrote again to the State Secretariat, asking that funds be made available to drain the swamps and to rid Kuala Nerang of the main breeding place of the carriers of malaria. This time the money came and the work was carried out under Tunku's supervision.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Because Tunku Ibrahim, the Regent, was known to be strongly opposed to mixed marriages and since there was a law in Kedah which forbade members of the royal family to marry non-Malays without the prior approval of the Ruler or Regent, the Tunku married Violet Coulson who lived in Penang. In 1934, the Regent died unexpectedly and was succeeded as Regent by Tunku Mahmud, the Sultan's younger brother, who was more broad-minded and gave consent to the marriage. This enabled Violet to move to Kuala Nerang, but the Secretary to the Government showed his disapproval by transferring Tunku to the isolated post of District Officer at Langkawi.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: The district consisted of a group of islands, thinly populated, sparsely cultivated, and without roads. When Tunku applied for government funds to develop Langkawi his application was rejected. Ever-resourceful, Tunku's genius in winning co-operation from members of the public of all communities led to the construction of a jetty and later to the opening of several earth roads using money and material which he collected.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: While in London, Tunku sat once more for the Bar Examinations, as he planned to leave the Civil Service, and to enter private practice as soon as he had qualified as an advocate and solicitor. Tunku succeeded in passing the Part One Examination, in 1939. However, with the advent of World War II, Tunku was recalled to Malaya and ordered to resume duty as District Officer in Kulim, where he remained for the next three years.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: He was responsible for the Civil Defence preparations implemented by district officers. Tunku was appointed Deputy Director of Air Raid Precautions for South Kedah. Tunku recognised the need to prepare for the evacuation of civilians in the event of an invasion and in 1941 he gave orders for the construction of six "Long Houses" made of round timber and with attap roofs on a low hill about two miles away from the town. Funds for this work had been refused by the State Secretariat and Tunku, therefore, invited donations from local town dwellers who would benefit if evacuations became necessary.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: By October 1941, British troops had prepared defensive positions in North Kedah. On the morning of 8 December 1941, the Invasion by the Japanese army began. The attack was quickly followed by the advance of General Yamashita's army which had landed unopposed on beaches near Songkla the previous night. A second assault force came ashore, unopposed, on the coast of Petani and advanced towards Betong and Kroh. A third but smaller force landed close to Kota Bahru in Kelantan despite vigorous opposition.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Unaware of the extent of the Japanese attack, Tunku went to his office and ordered a general alert for his air wardens. Later that morning, he met the leading shopkeepers and advised them to evacuate their families to the "Long House".


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku's eldest surviving brother, Tunku Badlishah, had succeeded Tunku Mahmud as Regent in 1937 when the latter died. He was now in control, since Sultan Abdul Hamid, although still alive, was incapacitated. At about 9 o'clock on the night of the invasion, Syed Omar telephoned Tunku and told him that the Regent had decided to evacuate the 77-year-old Sultan to Penang, and thence to Singapore. Tunku disagreed with this decision, feeling the need for the Sultan to remain with his people, he absconded with him during the journey. Soon after, the Japanese began bombing Penang.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: With the Japanese's bombing Penang, the Regent and his family fled. They were given accommodation in Sidim when the second and more severe bombing of Penang town took place on 11 December 1941, which caused hundreds of civilians to be killed. Upon returning, to Kulim, Tunku found out that all the Police were no longer on duty. Tunku's first concern was to prevent looting and he called all members of the disbanded Kedah Volunteer Force in Kulim to come to his assistance. These men formed a vigilante corps and Tunku arranged for them to patrol the town at night. He was also responsible for the acquiring of emergency food stores from the Government Rice Mill at Bagan Serai in Perak. By 16 December 1941, the Japanese army had occupied the west coast of Kedah, including all the main towns. The Japanese Military Governor of Kedah an assuming office appointed another of Tunku's brothers, Tunku Mohamed Jewa, to be a temporary Regent until the Sultan returned to Alor Setar.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On 17 December, the Sultan, the Regent, and his family and senior officers of the State Government set off for Alor Setar with a Japanese military escort. In Kulim, Tunku reluctantly remained as District Officer for another year as a servant to the Japanese Military Administration.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Friction between Tunku and the Japanese officials were frequent, and he was removed from his position of authority. The Siamese was then put in charge. Soon after the takeover by the Siamese, Tunku was appointed the Superintendent of Education.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In 1942, the Japanese transported thousands of young male Malayans to work on the construction of a railway from North Siam to Burma. Tunku helped house and feed some escapees from the railway construction project at considerable risk to himself.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On 6 and 9 August 1945, atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively. A week later, the Japanese Imperial government in Tokyo agreed to an unconditional surrender.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: When the Japanese surrender was announced over the wireless in mid-August, plans were hurriedly prepared in Ceylon for the dispatch of a British Military Administration. At the same time, the top Chinese Communist leaders in Malaya, Fong Chong Pik, who was nicknamed "the Plen" and a young Chinese Rebel named Chin Peng decided to try to seize control of the civil administration in as many states as possible. Tunku and his followers were responsible for the peace-keeping efforts and the protection of Alor Setar from the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On 19 August, the surrender of the Japanese Army had become common knowledge in Alor Setar. With the Japanese surrender, several groups of people talked about independence and discussed how it might be attained. Malay societies were formed all of the peninsular with similar objectives, but with no coordination. On 10 October 1945, the Secretary of State for the Colonies issued his Policy Statement on a "Malayan Union". In Kedah, both the principal Malay organisations held protest meetings and rallies. Tunku spoke forcefully at these rallies, but he recommended opposition by peaceful means.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Sir Harold MacMichael, representing the British Government, arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 11 October 1945. He came to Alor Setar after visiting the Sultans of Johor, Selangor, Pahang, and Perak and securing their signatures to a new treaty. In Kedah, MacMichael was told that the Ruler would consult his Council of State before discussing with him. With these consultations proceeded, rallies and processions in opposition to the treaty were held in every district and the center of Alor Setar. Tunku was one of the most popular speakers in Alor Setar, Sungai Petani, and Kulim, but he was not invited to take part in any of the discussions convened by his half-brother, Sultan Badlishah. After three days of negotiations, the Sultan followed the example of his brother rulers. The Sultan's surrender was vigorously criticised by the public and by Tunku. MacMichael flew back to London after securing all the signatures from the rulers for the new treaty. Then the British Prime Minister announced that the Malayan Union would come into effect on 1 April 1946.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: A British officer who had held Tunku's post before the war was appointed Superintendent of Education, Kedah in his place. The State Government did not give Tunku any new position. During this period, Tunku held no office in any Malay organisation.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku applied for 18 months' study leave and arranged to return to England to resume his law studies. He arrived in bunker on 27 December 1946 and travelled by train to London, and remained there for the next 18 months.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: When he passed all his law exams, Tunku sailed back to Malaya on the P.&.O. Corfu in January 1949 to be met by his wife, children, and friends in Penang. A few days later he called on the Secretary to the Government to inform him that he was now a qualified advocate and solicitor, but the reception was neutral. Tunku was instructed to report to the State Legal Advisor for duty as a deputy public prosecutor. His work was routine and he spent his days reading case files.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku was invited to accept the chairmanship of the Kedah branch of UMNO, the political party which had been formed by Dato' Onn Bin Jaafar. But before long, the Attorney-General, Fosters-Sutton, visited Kedah and met Tunku in his office to ask if he would like to take up a new appointment in Kuala Lumpur, which Tunku accepted. In Kuala Lumpur, Tunku was allotted an office in the Federal Secretariat, together with other Deputy Public Prosecutors. Tunku's work received a favourable report and he was transferred with promotion, to the post of President of the Selangor Court. At the same time, a political crisis was brewing in UMNO. When the Communist revolutionaries launched an armed rebellion from jungle bases during the Malayan Emergency, UMNO founder and president, Onn, felt the need for racial harmony and a non-communal political party.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: A General Assembly was to be held in Kuala Lumpur in August 1951, and Onn had made it known that if his proposals were not accepted in this meeting, he would resign. Malay leaders while discussing the crisis recognised that they must find a successor to Onn. At that time, Tunku's qualities and ability as a leader were almost unknown outside Kedah. Finally, three candidates, including Tunku, were suggested to be nominated for the post of President if Onn stepped down. Abdul Razak, the State Secretary of Pahang and UMNO vice president went to meet Tunku in his house, to ask him to agree to the nomination, but Tunku was reluctant. Instead, Tunku replied that Razak himself was much better qualified to be nominated. But Razak convinced Tunku that he was much too young to gain the support of the Malay masses.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: After much persuasion, Tunku reluctantly accepted the nomination. The UMNO Assembly met on 23 August 1951, where Tunku received 57 votes and his nearest rival had 11. In his acceptance speech, Tunku demanded that independence should be granted to Malaya as soon as possible. Tunku was still President of the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur, with daily duties to perform drawing a government salary and living in government quarters. Tunku informed the Chief Justice of his intention to resign from government service.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In the eyes of the average UMNO member, Tunku was first and foremost the brother of the Sultan of Kedah, and a member of a royal house, which carried some prestige within Malaya. Tunku had acquired a wealth of experience as a district officer in Kedah, which enables him to understand and sympathise with the problems of the rural population, who made up a large proportion of the UMNO membership.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: At the time of Onn Jaafar's resignation from the presidency of UMNO, he had predicted that the party would disintegrate within three months. But even before the end of that period, it became clear that although influential Chinese and some prominent Indians and Ceylonese had become members of Onn Jaafar's new party, very few Malays had done so. Tunku held and expressed the view that Malayan communities could not be united within a single political party. He believed that each community needs its political party and its political leaders, and he was proven to be right. The first trial of strength between all the rival political parties took place in January 1952.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On 6 October 1951, Sir Henry Gurney was killed in an ambush by communist revolutionaries. He was replaced by General Sir Gerald Templer who brought with him a new policy from the British Government in London. Templer was to guide the people of Malaya towards the attainment of a United Malayan Nation. The policy had also called for the partnership of all communities. To put this new policy into effect, the government had agreed to hold elections at the Municipal and Town Council level, as the first step towards a democratic government, and Kuala Lumpur was chosen as one of the venues for the experiment. All the existing political parties were prepared to contest.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: One of these political organisation was the Malayan Chinese Association, or MCA. MCA was brought into existence in 1949 by two men, Colonel H. S. Lee, the President of the Selangor Mining Association, and Tan Cheng Lock of Malacca. It occurred to him that if MCA and UMNO allied at the municipal level, their chances of success would be greater. Together with his deputy, they met and sought the approval of Dato' Yahaya, the Chairman of UMNO in Kuala Lumpur. They quickly reached an agreement. Under the chairmanship of Col. H. S. Lee, a combined committee from the MCA and UMNO was formed and 12 candidates were selected, one for each area, some Malays, some Chinese, and one Indian. The committee then began a vigorous campaign to enlist support for "The Alliance".


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: News of the venture appeared in all the leading newspapers. Tunku was in Province Wellesley when he read the news. He received a telephone call from a UMNO leader in Kuala Lumpur asking him to come back at once for a discussion. On his way to meet the UMNO leaders in Kuala Lumpur, he saw a leading member of Independence of Malaya Party, or IMP, and asked for his opinion of the "Alliance". Tunku was confronted by protesting political colleagues, but he told them that he supported the Alliance and Intended to help in the campaign in Kuala Lumpur.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: At the counting of votes on 16 February 1952, the "Alliance" won nine seats, IMP, two, and an Independent one. The success of the UMNO-MCA alliance was repeated in other municipal and town council elections, starting in Johor Bahru, where, to the chagrin of Dato' Onn, the Alliance won all the seats.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku followed up the Municipal elections by holding a 'Round Table Conference' on 3 February 1953, attended by leaders of the MCA and UMNO, in the Selangor Miner's Club, Kuala Lumpur. Everyone agreed to establish a permanent alliance of UMNO and MCA as a political body with Independence for Malaya as its principal objective.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: They also discussed the possibility of forming a united front with the Independence of Malayan Party, or the IMP. Tunku arranged a meeting with Onn. He brought H. S. Lee and Dr. Ismail. Onn brought three lawyers and two Malay civil servants. At the meeting, Onn told Tunku that IMP could only work together with the Alliance leaders if they disbanded the Alliance and joined IMP. Tunku tried to find some ground for compromise, but Onn was adamant and the meeting ended. Tunku disagreed fundamentally with Onn's conception of a single political party consisting of members of all communities. He knew by instinct that each community needed its political party. The challenge that lay before him was finding a way to unite the communal parties. Soon, the Alliance leaders met again to discuss their campaign. They drew up proposals that included a request for an elected majority and a firm date for the first elections.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: At the Legislative Council, when the demands by the Alliance were discussed, Onn told the Legislative Council that the holding of the elections should be planned as a gradual process and he questioned Tunku's demand. Onn's remarks were relayed to the Secretary of State and damaged Tunku's image.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In August 1953, Gerald Templer offered Tunku a portfolio in the Government, but Tunku refused it. Earlier in July 1953, the government set up a working committee to examine the possibility of holding State and Federal Elections. The committee was set up after Templer obtained the concurrence of Malay Rulers who at first were quite reluctant to accept such proposals due to their deep-rooted fear of what might befall them if Independence were granted. When the names of the members of the Election Committee were announced, Tunku observed that a majority of them were Onn Jaafar's supporters.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: During the discussion, the members found themselves in two groups. The majority approved certain recommendations while the Alliance minority disagreed and made their proposals. When the majority of recommendations were accepted and proposed by the Government. Alliance representatives all over the country attacked the Government's proposals with a new rallying cry – 'Merdeka'. By then, recommendations had been forwarded to London, and Tunku in consultations with the Alliance leaders decided that they must ask for an interview with the Secretary of State in London. Tunku sent a long telegram to the Secretary of State asking him to meet a delegation from the Alliance.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On 14 April 1954, a reply was received from the Secretary of State who rejected the request for an interview. Emergency meetings of UMNO and MCA leaders were held and a decision was made. The decision was severely criticised both inside and outside the Alliance and it required great courage and determination for Tunku to proceed. Next were the financial problems. Tunku called for an emergency meeting at UMNO in Malacca where he asked for financial help. The response from UMNO members was swift. A quantity of money and even personal jewellery were handed to Tunku. After some final travel arrangements, Tunku and T.H Tan left Singapore on 21 April 1954, for London. Tunku flew to London all too conscious of the doubts of his Alliance partners and the strong criticism from Government officials.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Before he left, he was aware that Onn Jaafar had dissolved IMP and formed a new political party called 'Parti Negara'. Onn had abandoned his vision of an all-communities party and directed his attention to the Malay community. Tunku realised that Parti Negara would attempt to weaken UMNO and subvert some of his UMNO supporters. But Tunku also knew that he must act now if the granting of Independence was not to be delayed indefinitely. London in mid-April 1954 was cold, damp, and cheerless. There was not even one press reporter to meet Tunku. Knowing their financial resources were limited, Tunku took T.H. Tan with him to Gloucester Road Hotel and booked a double room. He then telephoned his old friend, David Rees, who was now a prominent member of the British Labour Party.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: David Rees was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies under the Labour government from 1947 to 1950. David Rees was a valuable and influential ally. Tunku and Tan went to meet him the next morning in his chambers near the Inner Temple. David Rees promised to do everything possible to persuade Oliver Lyttleton to receive Tunku and his delegation. His persuasion proved to be potent, and on 24 April, Lyttleton agreed to meet Tunku. However, there was one problem. Lyttleton had arranged to leave for Uganda on an official visit on the following day and would not return until 10 May. It was a long time to wait and it would be stretch their financial resources to the limit, but Tunku decided to stay on.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Meanwhile, with David Rees's help, Tunku gave a press conference at which he explained the popular support for the Alliance. He then had meetings with members of parliament of all three parties. Tunku's relaxed manner, the fluency of his spoken English and his genial personality attracted his audience and provided ample justification for his mission. When the contents of the 'Election Proposal' were released by the Colonial Office only then did Tunku discover that the Secretary of State had not accepted all the recommendations of the Election Committee. But Tunku was not satisfied. He had asked for at least 60 elected members. A substantial majority of elected members was essential.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: While Lyttleton was overseas Tunku prepared his brief and on 14 May, Tunku, Abdul Razak and T.H Tan were ushered into the Secretary of State's room in the Colonial Office. Tunku explained in detail the Alliance's views on the importance of a workable elected majority and the need for early elections, but the Secretary of State insisted that the Alliance try out the Colonial Office Election proposals. Tunku pressed on further for an agreement on at least three-fifths of the elected majority but the Secretary of State wouldn't commit to his suggestion.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Finally, the meeting came to an end. Tunku had to fly back on 20 May, to attend the debate on the Elections Committee proposals in the Legislative Council. A letter from the Colonial Office was delivered to Tunku's hotel room on 19 May. It was beautifully phrased, but the contents could be summarised in two words – no change. T.H Tan cabled the gist of the reply to the Alliance co-chairman, Tan Cheng Lock. He and Tunku then left London the next day, leaving Abdul Razak to open a UMNO-MCA Merdeka Freedom Bureau through which publicity material in support of early independence could be distributed in England.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In Kuala Lumpur, Tunku met members of the UMNO Executive Committee in the morning, and the "Alliance Round Table" members the same night. The Alliance leaders accepted the view that the mission had achieved a measure of success. It was also agreed that the request from the Secretary of State to give the elections proposals a trial could not be accepted. They prepared a resolution which was drafted by Col. H.S. Lee, rejecting the Colonial Office proposals. The next day, Tunku, Dr. Ismail and Leong Yew Koh, the Secretary-General of MCA took the Resolution to General Templer's office. Templer read the document without comment and then requested that the release of the resolutions to the press be delayed.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: At the Alliance Round Table meeting that night, the Alliance was adamant and the boycott went into effect. About a thousand Alliance members at all levels took part. It was a subtle process with results that were not immediately felt, but which were cumulative. The boycott was widely criticised. The Secretary of State called for consultations with the Rulers by the High Commissioner. Tunku decided that the Alliance should take the initiative and present their views first.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: That day, nearly 2,000 Alliance supporters assembled at the government office building in support of the proposals. Attempts to break the Alliance boycott were made by Michael Hogan, the Attorney General, and David Gray, the acting Chief Secretary, Hogan and Gray met MacGillivray with their suggestions, and the High Commissioner agreed to their initiative.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Hogan and Gray then met H.S. Lee in Kuala Lumpur and explained the motive of their visit. H. S. Lee then contacted Tunku and Dr. Ismail who was in Johor Bahru with the news. Tunku reacted positively to the compromise offered but he wanted further assurance from the High Commissioner himself. On 6 July, MacGillivray signed a letter agreeing to the Alliance's request after receiving approval from Lyttleton. The Alliance then called off the boycott.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: After The Alliance called off the boycott, Elections to State Councils with Alliance participation could now proceed. Tunku and his colleagues travelled tirelessly to prepare for the coming trial of strength. Tunku took Tan Cheng Lock and H.S Lee with him whenever possible and in particular when touring the northern Malay states, and emphasised the importance of unity among Malayans of all communities. At each State capital, the Alliance leaders called on the Ruler and assured him of their loyalty and support.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: The links between UMNO and MCA grew stronger and on Tunku's initiative, a National Council which became the supreme executive body of the Alliance was established. It took the place of the 'Round Table' which had no executive power and Tunku was formally recognised as 'Leader of the Alliance'. The first two elections to State Councils took place late in 1954 in Johor and Terengganu. In both states, the Alliance won sweeping victories. Parti Negara did not capture a single seat. Tunku was now a popular figure in every state and almost every kampung. He travelled constantly.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Towards the end of 1954, Tunku was invited by the Director of Operations to serve on the Federation War Executive Committee. The government had promised to hold elections to the Federal Legislative Council in 1955, and in March of that year, it was announced that Nomination Day would be in June and that 27 July would be Election Day. Many Malay government officers resigned to offer themselves as candidates. As nomination day approached, Tunku was plagued by demands that a high proportion of the candidates should be Malay.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku brought the matter to the next UMNO Assembly and urged the members to adopt what he called "a policy of racial unselfishness". Tunku's arguments were compelling and he won a unanimous vote of confidence. Almost at the eleventh hour, Tunku's repeated emphasis on the importance of unity during the elections brought him a bonus. The Malayan Indian Congress, MIC, which had wavered in its support of Parti Negara, now promised to back the Alliance, representing the Indian community.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On Nomination Day, the Alliance entered a candidate in every one of the 52 constituencies. Parti Negara entered 30 candidates. 29 Malays and one Chinese. Four other political parties entered a total of 29 candidates. Eighteen others stood as Independents. Two weeks before Nomination Day, Onn announced that he would stand in Johor Bahru, and challenged Tunku to stand against him. It was a tactical error. The Alliance let it be known that the Party would decide where Tunku should stand, and it allowed the headquarters to select a candidate who could be expected to defeat Onn.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku's resisted invitations to forecast the election results, but he let it be known that he was confident of an Alliance victory. It was only during the last week of the elections that Tunku toured his constituency. Everywhere he went, he was promised total support. He spent the day before the elections in the UMNO House in Alor Setar and telephoned the Alliance headquarters in every state.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On polling day, after casting his vote, he drove himself on a whirlwind tour to constituencies in Kedah and then set off to Kuala Lumpur accompanied by T.H Tan. Tunku stopped at every main polling station en route and only arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 11 pm, making it possible for him to enter the town unrecognised. Tunku always enjoyed the company of his friends but on the night of 27 July, he was exhausted and wanted to be alone. Tunku spent the night at the Eastern Hotel, listening to the results of the elections until the Kuala Lumpur Radio Station went off the air at 3 AM.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku won with a majority of more than 20,000 votes, Sulaiman won with 5,943 votes and Dato' Onn only managed to secure 2,802 votes. The Alliance won 51 seats, the Pan Malayan Islamic Party (PMIP) won only one seat, and the National Party (PN) won none.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: High Commissioner MacGillivray invited Tunku to the King's House for a first formal discussion on Sunday, 31 July. Tunku handed the High Commissioner a list of 11 Cabinet Ministers: six Malays, three Chinese, and two Indians. The list would still have to be passed to the Rulers for their formal concurrence that would take some time. On 1 August, Tunku was received by a British Assistant Secretary to the Government at the Federal Secretariat building.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On 9 August, Tunku made his first broadcast to the nation from an old wooden structure at Young Road, Kuala Lumpur. During the broadcast, he said:


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: There had been another General Election in the United Kingdom, won again by the Conservatives. Alan Lennox-Boyd was the new Secretary of States for the Colonies. He was to visit Malaya and be present at the new Legislative Council meeting on 1 September. At their first informal meeting at King's House in Kuala Lumpur, Tunku found in the new Secretary of State an unexpected affinity. They were able to speak freely and they shared a sense of humour. Lennox-Boyd agreed to hold constitutional talks in London in January 1956, provided that the Rulers were represented. When the Rulers met at their conferences in Kuala Lumpur in September 1955, Tunku sought and was granted a special audience. Tunku asked the Rulers to appoint representatives for the constitutional talks to be held in London. As the days for the talks got closer, travel plans were discussed.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In dealing with the Emergency, Tunku had offered amnesty to the communist revolutionaries soon after he became Chief Minister. 186 "Safe Areas" were named in four million leaflets, which were dropped over the jungle from Air Force planes. The results had been disappointing but an unsigned letter from Communist headquarters in South Thailand asked for a ceasefire. Tunku showed the letter to MacGillivray and General Bourne. Then, with their agreement, Tunku issued a reply in the Press stating that he was willing to meet Chin Peng.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: After a further exchange of letters, Tunku and Chin Peng met in Southeast Kedah near the Siamese border in December 1955. Tunku had 2 objectives for the meeting, one was to clarify the amnesty terms, the other was to make it clear that Tunku spoke for the people of Malaya and not as a representative of the British. Chin Peng could not accept the amnesty terms because the British did not allow communists in the jungle to enjoy equal status with other Malayans. Chin Peng demanded that the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) be legalised and be allowed to participate in the elections.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Singaporean Chief Minister David Marshall asked if the MCP would lay down their arms if Malaya was granted Independence, Chin Peng refused as the amnesty offer was unacceptable to the MCP, and that they would never disband the MCP. Discussions continued after dark without either side making any concessions. The talks failed to reach an agreement and ended at 10 AM the next morning.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Following the failure of the talks, Tunku decided to withdraw the offer of an amnesty on 8 February 1956, five months after it had been offered. He stated that he would not willingly meet the communists again unless they indicated beforehand their desire to see him make "a complete surrender". He said that the Communists had made it clear to him that their ideology and that of himself and his party could not exist side by side. Therefore, the war must be intensified until one or the other gave in. "I have every confidence that the people of Malaya will give their fullest support and co-operation to the action I have taken."


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: After Tunku and Lennox-Boyd agreed to hold constitutional talks in London in January 1956, provided that the Rulers were represented. When the Rulers met at their conferences in Kuala Lumpur in September 1955, Tunku sought and was granted a special audience. Tunku asked the Rulers to appoint representatives for the constitutional talks to be held in London.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Finally on 1 January 1956, the two delegations sailed together from Singapore to Karachi on the "Asia", Before they arrived at Karachi, their draft proposals had been finalised, and they entered Lancaster House in London on 16 January, as the Merdeka Mission, with a single leader, Tunku.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Finally on 8 February 1956, Tunku's fifty-third birthday, he and Lennox-Boyd signed the Independence agreement, the Treaty of London, scheduled for August 1957. Tunku and his mission left London on 16 February, had a short break in Cairo and landed in Singapore four days later.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: The next day, Tunku went to Malacca where he had decided to make his first public announcement on their success. His speech was simple and brief, muffled by the constant chorus of "Merdeka". Soon after Tunku's return from London, a Constitutional Commission as set up in Kuala Lumpur. The Commission travelled to every State, hearing evidence and receiving memoranda. The Alliance National Council spent months preparing a detailed memorandum from the commission, most of which were accepted.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: The Commissioner's report was published in Kuala Lumpur in February 1957. MacGillivray then set up a Working Committee to prepare final recommendations for the consideration of the British Government. When the subject of 'jus soli' (citizenship by right of birth) was mentioned, Tunku, as the inspired diplomat, managed to persuade the MCA leaders to agree to its omission from the official recommendations.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku Abdul Rahman dominated the politics of the independent Malaya (which became Malaysia in 1963), and led the Alliance to landslide wins in the 1959, and 1964 general elections. He not only served as the first prime minister of Malaya but also as its foreign minister.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: The formation of Malaysia was one of his greatest achievements. In 1961, he made a speech at the Foreign Correspondents Association of Southeast Asia in Singapore, proposing a federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. On 16 September 1963, with the federation of all these states except Brunei, Tunku Abdul Rahman was formally restyled as Prime Minister of Malaysia.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: However, the racial factor was worsened with the inclusion of Singapore, which increased the Chinese proportion to more than 40%. Both UMNO and the MCA were nervous about the possible appeal of Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party (PAP) to voters in Malaya, and tried to organize a party in Singapore to challenge Lee's position there, despite an earlier agreement that he would not do so (see PAP-UMNO relations). Lee in turn retaliated by running PAP candidates in Malaya at the 1964 federal elections, winning one seat.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: This provoked Tunku to demand that Singapore be permanently removed from the union of Malaysia. This order led to the development of the Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965 which achieved total independence for Singapore from Malaysia in that one move. The same day, 7 August 1965, Tunku announced to the Parliament of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur that it should vote yes on the resolution to have Singapore be put out of the Federation and Singapore's secession and independence became official on 9 August 1965.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: At the 1969 general election, the Alliance's majority was greatly reduced. Demonstrations following the elections sparked the 13 May racial riots in Kuala Lumpur. Some UMNO leaders led by Tun Abdul Razak were critical of Tunku's leadership during these events, and an emergency committee MAGERAN took power and declared a state of emergency.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: His powers as Prime Minister were severely curtailed, and on 22 September 1970 (a day after his agnatic first-degree nephew became King of Malaysia), he was forced to resign as Prime Minister in favor of Abdul Razak. He subsequently resigned from UMNO's presidency in June 1971, amid severe opposition of the 'Young Turks' comprising party rebels such as Mahathir Mohamad and Musa Hitam. The duo later became Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia respectively.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: After making Islam the religion of the Federation in 1960, Tunku established the Islamic Welfare Organisation (PERKIM), an organization to help Muslim converts adjust to new lives as Muslims. He was President of PERKIM until a year before his death. In 1961 Malaysia hosted the first International Qur'an Recital Competition, an event that developed from Abdul Rahman's idea when he organized the first state-level competition in Kedah in 1951.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Malaysia is a founder member of the OIC. Its headquarters are in Jeddah, but it was established at the Conference of Islamic Nations held in Kuala Lumpur in 1969. Tunku was its first secretary-general since 1970.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On the occasion of his 80th birthday, he stated on 9 February 1983 edition of "The Star" newspaper that the "country has a multi-racial population with various beliefs. Malaysia must continue as a secular State with Islam as the official religion". In the same issue of "The Star", Tunku was supported by the third Malaysian Prime Minister, Hussein Onn, who stated that the "nation can still be functional as a secular state with Islam as the official religion".


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku became Vice-President of Kedah Football Association after his return from Cambridge in the late 1930s. Later in 1949, Tunku became President of Selangor Football Association, and a few years later, he became President of Football Association of Malaysia for 20 years. During his presidency, he introduced a competition for those under-18 years old such as the "Piala FAM" (FAM Cup) and the "Piala Rahman" (Rahman Cup).


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Being an avid sportsman, Tunku was a firm believer that sports can be a good catalyst in bringing about greater social unity among Malaysians of various races and religions. Therefore, he supported and initiated many sports events. These included an international football tournament, the Pestabola Merdeka (Independence Football Festival) in 1957. The following year, he was elected as the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), a post he held until 1977.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku also loved horse racing and was a regular at the Selangor Turf Club. He claimed that his lucky number was 13 and that he would win horse races that were held on the 13th of the month, especially on Friday the 13th for him. Tunku's racing interests included the champion racehorse Think Big. After it won the 1974 Melbourne Cup, Think Big's owners, Malaysian businessman Dato Tan Chin Nam, and Australian property developer Rick O'Sullivan, invited Tunku to join them as a part-owner of the horse. Think Big then won its second Melbourne Cup in 1975.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: In 1977, having acquired substantial shares in "The Star", a Penang-based newspaper, he became the newspaper's chairman. His columns, "Looking Back" and "As I See It", were critical of the government, and in 1987, Mahathir banned the newspaper. This led to a split in UMNO, with Tunku himself and another former PM, Hussein, setting up a new party called UMNO Malaysia, but its registration was quashed by Mahathir, who set up his own UMNO Baru (New UMNO). Tunku later supported Semangat 46 (S46), a splinter group of UMNO led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He campaigned actively for the latter in the General election of 1990, but was already in very poor health. The well-educated, visionary Tunku stood in contrast to Mahathir's brand of nationalism, which promised to help ethnic Malays, who were purportedly economically and socially stunted by the aftereffects of the colonial British "divide and rule" system.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: It was in Kulim that Tunku married his first wife, Meriam Chong who was the daughter of his friend, Chong Ah Yong, a Thai Chinese. A year after their marriage, Tunku's daughter Tunku Khadijah was born. A year later, a son Tunku Ahmad Nerang was born. A month after Meriam gave birth to her second child, she contracted a severe attack of malaria and died.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: On Meriam's death, Tunku wrote to his lady friend in England, Violet Coulson, who ran a coffee shop that Tunku had frequented as a student. When Tunku's letter reached Violet, she dropped everything and turned up in Singapore. They were secretly married by the Kadi in the Malay mosque in Arab Street according to Muslim rites. After conversion, Violet's Muslim name was Puteh Bte Abdullah. Violet went to live in Penang because they had no approval of the Ruler or Regent. Tunku Ibrahim, the Regent, was strongly opposed to mixed marriages, but when he died unexpectedly in 1934 and was succeeded as Regent by Tunku Mahmud, the Sultan's younger brother, he consented to the marriage. Though their marriage went well, Tunku's responsibilities in the public service were all-consuming and after a separation where Violet returned to London, they have divorced amicably in 1947. He then married Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah, with whom he adopted four children, Sulaiman, Mariam, Sharifah Hanizah (granddaughter), and Faridah. He also secretly married Bibi Chong and was given two children, Tunku Noor Hayati and Tunku Mastura.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: Tunku's house, located at 1 Jalan Changkat Kia Peng in Kuala Lumpur, was acquired by the Government of the Philippines in 1987 and now serves as the chancery of the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: He died peacefully on 6 December 1990 at the age of 87. Among those who witnessed his last breath were Chief Secretary Tun Ahmad Sarji, Prime Minister Mahathir, and a few others. The PM later ordered the Chief Secretary to announce the death of Tunku. He was buried at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Alor Setar according to his wish signed a day before his death.


title: Tunku Abdul Rahman

text: The shape as well as the design of the Merdeka 118 tower resembles the silhouette of Tunku with his hand raised while chanting “"Merdeka!"” during the proclamation of the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957.


title: Christine Lakin

text: Christine Helen Lakin (born January 24, 1979) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Alicia "Al" Lambert on the 1990s ABC/CBS sitcom "Step by Step". She also played Joan of Arc on Showtime's "Reefer Madness", was the sidekick on Craig Kilborn's 2010 Fox talk show "The Kilborn File", and provides the voice of Joyce Kinney in "Family Guy".


title: Christine Lakin

text: Lakin was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Karen (née Niedwick) and James Daley Lakin, and raised in Roswell, Georgia. She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Communication.


title: Christine Lakin

text: Lakin got her start acting in commercials, before landing her first major role as Young Rose in the American Civil War drama "The Rose and the Jackal". That movie aired in 1990, one year before she was cast as Alicia Lambert, the tomboyish daughter, on "Step by Step".


title: Christine Lakin

text: After "Step by Step" was cancelled (retired) in 1998, she continued to appear in television movies, such as Showtime's "Reefer Madness" and 2005's "Who's Your Daddy?".


title: Christine Lakin

text: In 2006, She also appeared in a commercial called "But He Has Bud Light" that aired during Super Bowl XLI, in which her male companion wants to pick up a hitchhiker who has Bud Light beer in one hand and an axe in the other.


title: Christine Lakin

text: In 2008, she starred alongside Paris Hilton in the movie "The Hottie and the Nottie", requiring extensive makeup to make her appear ugly. The film met dismal reviews in the US.


title: Christine Lakin

text: In 2010, she became Craig Kilborn's sidekick (his "Huckleberry Friend" – a reference to his "favorite movie", "Breakfast at Tiffany's") on "The Kilborn File" on select Fox stations.


title: Christine Lakin

text: She was a judge on the YouTube competition "Internet Icon" alongside Ryan Higa on the YouTube channel, YOMYOMF, and she also is the creator of "Worst Audition Ever", a live evening of comedy. Beginning in 2013, she has narrated several audiobook adaptations. She also voiced the character Jane from "" video game.


title: Christine Lakin

text: She is also the voice of news anchor Joyce Kinney in the animated sitcom "Family Guy", debuting in the episode "Excellence in Broadcasting". She also featured as Lois's college friend Naomi, in a live table read of "Partial Terms of Endearment"; though not in the eventual episode.


title: Christine Lakin

text: She later starred in the Pop series "Hollywood Darlings" with fellow 1990s child stars Jodie Sweetin and Beverley Mitchell.


title: Christine Lakin

text: Lakin also has numerous television directing credits, including 10 episodes (as of 2022) of ABC sitcom "The Goldbergs", three episodes of 2019 "Goldbergs" spinoff sitcom "Schooled", and three episodes of the 2021 Apple TV+ original series "Puppy Place".


title: Christine Lakin

text: Lakin appeared on " Pod Meets World" episode titled "Christine Lakin Meets World on October 3, 2022, discussing coming up in the entertainment industry. Hosted by Ryder Strong, Will Friedle, and Danielle Fishel.


title: Christine Lakin

text: She was nominated in 1993 for a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series and in 1994 for another Young Artist Award for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series shared with Josh Byrne, Christopher Castile, Brandon Call, Staci Keanan and Angela Watson – both for "Step by Step" (1991). She also won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple with Paris Hilton in "The Hottie and the Nottie".


title: Christine Lakin

text: Lakin dated actor Jaleel White in the early 90s when their shows were both on TGIF. She said White was her first boyfriend.


title: Christine Lakin

text: Lakin married actor Brandon Breault in October 2014. In November 2015, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Georgia James, was born on March 6, 2016. She gave birth to their son, Baylor B. Breault, on September 10, 2018.


title: Nas discography

text: The discography of Nas, an American rapper, consists of fifteen studio albums, one collaborative album, one group album, five compilations, four mixtapes, one extended play, and seventy-nine singles (including twelve collaboration singles and thirty-three as a featured artist). The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas dropped out of school during ninth grade and began his music career in 1991 with a guest performance on the song "Live at the Barbeque" by Main Source. In 1992, Nas featured on the MC Serch posse cut, “Back to the Grill”, alongside Chubb Rock and Red Hot Lover Tone, and later contributed the track, "Halftime" to the soundtrack to the film, "Zebrahead". Soon Nas ignited enough hype and signed to Columbia Records, where he released his debut album "Illmatic" in 1994. Including Nas's solo debut track "Halftime", "Illmatic" was certified double platinum in the US, spawned several singles including "It Ain't Hard to Tell" and "The World Is Yours", and earned much critical acclaim. With a more mainstream-oriented sound, Nas's second album "It Was Written" was released in 1996 and included the Lauryn Hill collaboration "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" and "Street Dreams", the latter of which reached number 22 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. "It Was Written" was certified triple platinum. In 1999, Nas released two albums: "I Am..." and "Nastradamus". While "I Am" reached double platinum status like its preceding album "It Was Written" and spawned two singles that reached the top ten spots of the Hot Rap Singles chart, "Hate Me Now" and "Nas Is Like", "Nastradamus" signaled a decrease in quality and critical reception and sold only half as many units. Still, "Nastradamus" featured two charting singles, "You Owe Me", "Nastradamus" and was certified platinum .


title: Nas discography

text: After another New York City rapper, Jay-Z, attacked Nas in his album "The Blueprint", Nas released "Stillmatic" in 2001 with a track responding to Jay-Z's attack along with two singles that once again made the top ten spots of the "Billboard" rap chart, "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic". Nas's 2002 album "God's Son" included "I Can", his most successful single on the Hot 100 that charted at number 12 there. However, Nas's 2004 album "Street's Disciple" failed to attract much hype. After Nas settled his feud with Jay-Z by performing with Jay-Z in the rival rapper's "I Declare War" concert in October 2005, Nas was signed to Def Jam Recordings Def Jam label in 2006 and debuted on Def Jam with "Hip Hop Is Dead", his third album to reach number 1 on the American "Billboard" 200 album chart. In 2008, Nas released an untitled album that he controversially almost titled "Nigger".


title: Nas discography

text: Nas has also participated in three non-solo albums. In 1997, he teamed up with rappers AZ, Cormega, Foxy Brown, and Nature to form supergroup The Firm, whose self-titled album reached the top of the "Billboard" 200 and included two modestly charting singles "Firm Biz" and "Phone Tap". With his new imprint Ill Will Records, Nas released in 2000 the collaborative compilation "Nas & Ill Will Records Presents QB's Finest", which included "Da Bridge 2001" and "Oochie Wally". A few mixtapes were released, as well. In 2010, Nas and reggae singer Damian Marley released the collaborative studio album "Distant Relatives". Among the singles in which Nas did guest performances, four of them reached the top ten of the Hot 100: "Hot Boyz" by Missy Elliott (whose remix also featured Lil' Mo, Eve, and Q-Tip), "Did You Ever Think" by R. Kelly, "Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix)" by Mariah Carey and "I'm Gonna Be Alright" by Jennifer Lopez. Nas also appeared in singles and tracks by his ex-wife Kelis, Sean Combs, The Game, Ludacris, and Mobb Deep among others. Nas has sold over 15 million records in the United States alone.


title: Kairi Sane

text: From 2012 to 2017, she wrestled for the Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom under the ring name . Embodying a "Pirate Princess" persona, she became a one-time World of Stardom Champion, a one-time Wonder of Stardom Champion, a three-time Goddess of Stardom Champion and a four-time Artist of Stardom Champion. She also won the 2015 5-Star GP and the 2016 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In 2017, she signed with WWE, where she adopted the ring name Kairi Sane. She won the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament the same year, and was then assigned to the NXT brand. She captured the NXT Women's Championship in 2018 and subsequently won the 2018 NXT Year-End Awards for Female Competitor of the Year and for Overall Competitor of the Year. In 2019, she debuted on WWE's main roster, where she became a one-time and the longest reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, along with Asuka as part of The Kabuki Warriors. The team also received 2019 WWE Year-End Award for Women's Tag Team of the Year. In 2020, she returned to Japan to join her husband, and worked as a WWE ambassador and trainer in her native country until December 2021 when her contract expired.


title: Kairi Sane

text: Kaori Housako was born on September 23, 1988, in Hikari, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She has a sister, who is three years older than her. She has an extensive sports background in yachting, competing in intercollegiate and national competitions, while also taking part in world championships with dreams of making it to the Olympics. After graduating from Hosei University with a bachelor's degree in Japanese literature, Housako began pursuing a career in acting. She also did some theater work and one of her performances, where she performed as a professional wrestling villain, was seen by Fuka, the general manager of the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion, who invited Housako to one of their events. She quickly fell in love with professional wrestling's aspect of combining acting with sports and decided to become a wrestler herself.


title: Kairi Sane

text: Housako started training with Stardom in 2011. On November 14, 2011, she passed her "pro test" and graduated as part of Stardom's third class of trainees, alongside Act Yasukawa, Natsumi Showzuki and Yuuri Haruka. Housako, now working under the ring name "Kairi Hojo", made her debut for Stardom on January 7, 2012, losing to Yuzuki Aikawa. Playing off her yachting background, Hojo was dubbed "Pirate Princess". She quickly became a founding member of the Zenryoku Joshi stable, led by Aikawa. In November 2012, Hojo formed a new tag team with Natsumi Showzuki, with the two finishing second in the 2012 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League. Zenryoku Joshi disbanded in January 2013, when Hojo unsuccessfully challenged her stablemate Yuzuki Aikawa for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. Hojo won her first title on April 29, 2013, at "Ryōgoku Cinderella", where she and Showzuki, billed collectively as "Ho-Show Tennyo", defeated Hailey Hatred and Kyoko Kimura for the Goddess of Stardom Championship. Their reign, however, lasted only a month, as they were stripped of the title when Showzuki was sidelined with a cervical spine injury. Showzuki never returned from her injury, instead resigning from Stardom.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On June 23, 2013, Hojo teamed with Kaori Yoneyama and Yuhi to defeat Christina Von Eerie, Hailey Hatred and Kyoko Kimura for the vacant Artist of Stardom Championship. They lost the title to Kimura, Alpha Female and The Female Predator "Amazon" on November 4. In May 2014, Hojo made her Mexican debut by representing Stardom in the "DragonMania 9" and "Lucha Fan Fest 8" events. In August, Stardom's roster was split in half as part of a storyline rivalry between older wrestlers born in the Shōwa period and younger wrestlers born in the Heisei period. Hojo, having been born in the Shōwa period, aligned herself with the likes of Nanae Takahashi and Miho Wakizawa. On August 10, Hojo regained the Goddess of Stardom Championship, when she and Takahashi defeated Alpha Female and Kyoko Kimura. After an eight-month reign, she was again stripped of the title, when Takahashi was sidelined with an ankle injury.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In February 2015, following an incident between Act Yasukawa and Yoshiko, Hojo was named an intermediary between the wrestlers and management in order to bring the two sides closer. Following the incident, Stardom's top title, the World of Stardom Championship, was declared vacant with a tournament scheduled to determine the new champion. On March 29, Hojo defeated first Kyoko Kimura and then Io Shirai to win the World of Stardom Championship for the first time. After a four-month reign, she lost the title to Meiko Satomura on July 26. Hojo bounced back by winning Stardom's top singles tournament, the 5★Star GP, by defeating Hudson Envy in the finals on September 23. At the end of the year, Hojo was named Stardom's MVP of 2015. In January 2016, Hojo came together with former rivals Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani to form a new stable. On February 28, 2016, the three, now billed collectively as "Threedom" (a combination of the words "Three" and "Stardom"), defeated Evie, Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater to win the Artist of Stardom Championship. In April, Hojo, along with Iwatani and Shirai, traveled to the United States to take part in events held by Lucha Underground and Vendetta Pro Wrestling. On May 15, Hojo won another title, when she defeated Santana Garrett for the Wonder of Stardom Championship, winning the title in her fourth attempt. On August 8, Hojo debuted for the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF), defeating Jungle Kyona at an event in Shanghai. On September 3, Hojo defeated Io Shirai to take over the leadership of the Red Stars block in the 2016 5★Star GP. However, during the match, she suffered a concussion, which forced her to pull out of her remaining tournament. On October 2, Threedom lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to Hana Kimura, Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura in their third defense.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On November 11, Hojo and Yoko Bito defeated Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani in the finals to win the 2016 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League. Following the match, Shirai turned on Iwatani and disbanded Threedom. On December 22, Hojo and Bito defeated Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura to become the new Goddess of Stardom Champions. They lost the title to Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona in their second defense on March 5, 2017. Also in March, it was reported that Hojo had told Stardom's office that she was leaving the promotion for WWE the following month. On March 20, Hojo unsuccessfully challenged Io Shirai for the World of Stardom Championship. On May 6, Hojo, Hiromi Mimura and Konami defeated AZM, HZK and Io Shirai to win the Artist of Stardom Championship. Following the match, Hojo confirmed her impending departure from Stardom, without specifically mentioning WWE. Sane had contemplated retirement due to her age and injuries, but decided to go wrestle overseas after consulting Bull Nakano. The following day, Threedom reunited for one final match together, defeating Hiromi Mimura, HZK and Jungle Kyona in a six-woman tag team match. Hojo's one-year reign as the Wonder of Stardom Champion ended on May 14, when she lost the title to Mayu Iwatani in her ninth title defense, falling one defense short of tying Santana Garrett's record for most defenses. Hojo wrestled her final matches for Stardom on June 4. After Hojo, Mimura and Konami lost the Artist of Stardom Championship back to AZM, HZK and Shirai in their second defense, Hojo wrestled an unadvertised ten-match one-minute time limit series against members of the Stardom roster that ended in three wins, six draws and one loss.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In October 2016, Housako was contacted and offered a WWE contract, starting the following year. Reportedly, Housako had stated that she was interested in going to WWE, but had not made a final decision yet. There were also questions over whether she could pass the company's physical examination due to her two concussions during the past two years. In March 2017, Housako signed a three-year contract with WWE, reportedly for $60,000 per year, which was less than she was making in Japan.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On June 30, a video at a WWE house show in Tokyo, introduced Housako as "Kairi Sane" to WWE's developmental division, NXT, as well as the upcoming Mae Young Classic tournament. On July 13, she defeated Tessa Blanchard in the tournament's first round in her WWE debut match. The following day, Sane first defeated Bianca Belair in the second round, then Dakota Kai in quarterfinals and finally Toni Storm in the semifinals to advance to the finals of the tournament. Reportedly, Sane suffered both a concussion and a neck injury during the tapings. On September 12, Sane defeated Shayna Baszler in the tournament finals and thereby earned a shot at the vacant NXT Women's Championship at the next NXT TakeOver show.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In October 2017, Sane made her television debut on "NXT", defeating Aliyah. In November, at , Sane competed in a fatal four–way match for the vacant NXT Women's Championship. but was unsuccessful as Ember Moon won the match.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Sane participated in the first women's Royal Rumble match, entering at number 6 and lasting around 5 minutes before being eliminated by Dana Brooke. A few months later, she also participated in the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34, alongside other NXT superstars, but was eliminated from the match by Sasha Banks. Shortly after, Sane started a feud with Lacey Evans as the two exchanged victories and attacked each other throughout the next few weeks. Eventually, Sane was able to defeat Evans on the June 6 episode of "NXT", in a final match between the two, to end their feud.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In July, after she defeated Candice LeRae and Nikki Cross in a triple–threat match to become the number one contender, Sane reignited her rivalry with Shayna Baszler, as the two exchanged victories in the "Mae Young Classic Finals" and at "NXT" and faced off in a match at on August 18 where Sane was able to defeat Bazsler to win the NXT Women's Championship for the first time in her career. On October 28, at the WWE Evolution pay–per–view, Sane lost the championship back to Baszler (after interference from her allies Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir) ending her reign at 71 days. Three weeks later, at , Sane received her rematch against Baszler in a two out of three falls match, but she failed to regain the title after interference from Duke and Shafir again. Because of the interferences, Sane eventually aligned with her best friend Io Shirai and Dakota Kai against Baszler, Duke and Shafir. Shortly after, Kai was sidelined with an injury and Sane continued to team with Shirai, forming a tag team known as "The Sky Pirates" while continuing to defeat various teams.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On April 5, 2019, at , Sane competed in a fatal–four-way match for the NXT Women's Championship, however, she was unsuccessful in capturing the title as Baszler submitted Bianca Belair to retain. Just six days later, on April 11 (episode aired on tape delay on April 17), Sane lost a rematch to Baszler after Io Shirai attacked Baszler who was looking to injure Sane. Because of her loss, Sane is not allowed to challenge for the NXT Women's Championship anymore, which was a way to write her off the brand.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On the April 16, 2019, episode of "SmackDown Live", Paige announced that she would be managing a newly formed women's tag team, consisting of Sane, who as a result was drafted to the main roster, and Asuka. The team of Sane and Asuka, later dubbed "The Kabuki Warriors", was immediately put in a feud with The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) over the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. After weeks of avoiding them, The IIconics lost to The Kabuki Warriors during WWE's tour in Tokyo, which earned The Kabuki Warriors a title match. The title match took place on the July 16 episode of "SmackDown", where The IIconics retained after they got themselves counted-out. In August, The Kabuki Warriors failed to capture the titles from then-champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.


title: Kairi Sane

text: After a short hiatus, The Kabuki Warriors returned in September and defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. On October 6 at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, The Kabuki Warriors finally won the Women's Tag Team Championship from Bliss and Cross, after Asuka used the green mist on Cross. The next night on "Raw", The Kabuki Warriors completed their transition into heels, as they cut a promo on both Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair and went onto defeat them in a non-title match after once again using green mist. As part of the 2019 Draft in mid-October, Asuka and Sane were both drafted to the Raw brand. On the October 28, 2019, episode of "Raw", The Kabuki Warriors turned on Paige and used the green mist on her. That same night, Sane went one-on-one with Lynch, where she lost by submission. Asuka and Sane made their returns to NXT on the October 30 episode to defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship against Team Kick (Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox); marking the first time the titles were defended on NXT where they retained. On the November 4 episode of "Raw", The Kabuki Warriors lost to Flair and Natalya when Asuka submitted to Natalya. The following week, Sane and Asuka retained their titles against Lynch and Flair following interference from Shayna Baszler and Bayley.


title: Kairi Sane

text: Sane represented Team Raw at Survivor Series in a 5-on-5-on-5 elimination tag team match, being eliminated by Sasha Banks. On December 1 at Starrcade, The Kabuki Warriors successfully retained the tag team titles against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross and Bayley and Sasha Banks when Asuka submitted Cross. On the December 2 episode of "Raw", Sane and Asuka defeated Flair in a handicap match. The following week on "Raw", Sane and Asuka lost to Lynch by disqualification when Asuka attacked Becky with a chair, and Sane performed an " Insane Elbow" on Lynch through a table. Sane and Asuka subsequently challenged Lynch and Flair to a WWE Women's Tag Team title match at , which they accepted. At the event, The Kabuki Warriors retained their titles against Lynch and Flair in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match; during the match, Sane suffered a legitmate concussion, which caused the remainder of the match to be changed on the fly. Following TLC, Sane would accompany Asuka on the entrance stage during a segment between Asuka and Lynch but didn't go to ringside with Asuka during her matches. Sane made her TV return on the January 20 episode of "Raw", losing to Lynch by submission. On the March 2 episode of "Raw", she returned to the ring in a losing effort against Shayna Baszler. On the first night of WrestleMania 36, The Kabuki Warriors lost their Women's Tag Team Championships to the team of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, ending their reign at 181 days, the longest reign for the titles so far.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On the May 11, 2020, episode of "Raw", then-Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch vacated her title in order to take maternity leave, revealing that Asuka won the championship the night before by winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at the eponymous event. On the next episode of "Raw", after Lynch's announcement, Sane was seen backstage with some of the other wrestlers congratulating Lynch, thus turning The Kabuki Warriors face as Sane celebrated Asuka's championship victory before being interrupted by Nia Jax, thus beginning a feud. On the June 6 episode of "Raw", which was taped on May and aired on tape delay, Sane suffered a significant head cut. Sane made her televised return since her injury on the July 6 episode of "Raw", as she challenged Sasha Banks in a match that ended in a disqualification due to Bayley's interference. Weeks after, The Kabuki Warriors unsuccessfully challenged Banks and Bayley for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. On the July 20 episode of "Raw", she defeated SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley in a non-title match. The following week on Raw, Sane was viciously assaulted by Bayley backstage during the Raw Women's Championship match between Asuka and Banks. This was done to write her out of the storylines as Sane announced her departure from WWE on Twitter as she was heading back to Japan to be with her husband. WWE later confirmed Sane's departure on their website. On July 29, 2020, WWE's YouTube channel released a video chronicling Sane's last week in WWE. The video features Sane saying her goodbyes to everyone in WWE as she prepares to go back to Japan with superstars such as Asuka, Shinsuke Nakamura and Akira Tozawa all wishing her well.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On October 2, 2020, Sane announced that she had started working as an ambassador and trainer for WWE's branch in her native Japan. On October 25, she was part of the Japanese-language commentary team for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. In December 2021, she left WWE after her contract expired.


title: Kairi Sane

text: On February 18, 2022, Housako made her return to Stardom; going by the ring name Kairi. Her in-ring return was at World Climax event in March. At World Climax: The Best, she teamed with Mayu Iwatani and defeated Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano and Unagi Sayaka) in a tag team match. At World Climax: The Top, she defeated Starlight Kid. She ruptured her eardrum during the match and revealed the injury in a post-match interview. She made her return on May 28 at Stardom Flashing Champions, where she teamed with Tam Nakano as "White Knights" to defeat Queen's Quest (Utami Hayashishita and Miyu Amasaki) in a tag team match.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In November, Kairi defeated Mayu Iwatani in the main event of Historic X-Over, a professional wrestling event co-promoted by Stardom and its sister promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), to become the inaugural IWGP Women's Champion.


title: Kairi Sane

text: In 2016, Dave Meltzer of the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" referred to Kairi Hojo and her fellow Japanese wrestlers Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani as "three of the best wrestlers in the world".


title: Kairi Sane

text: Kairi Sane made her video game debut as a playable character in "WWE 2K19". She is also a playable character in "WWE 2K20".


title: Non-player character

text: A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster or referee rather than by another player. In video games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer (instead of a player) that has a predetermined set of behaviors that potentially will impact gameplay, but will not necessarily be the product of true artificial intelligence.


title: Non-player character

text: In a traditional tabletop role-playing game such as "Dungeons & Dragons", an NPC is a character portrayed by the gamemaster. While the player characters (PCs) form the narrative's protagonists, non-player characters can be thought of as the "supporting cast" or "extras" of a roleplaying narrative. Non-player characters populate the fictional world of the game, and can fill any role not occupied by a player character. Non-player characters might be allies, bystanders or competitors to the PCs. NPCs can also be traders that trade currency for things such as equipment or gear. NPCs thus vary in their level of detail. Some may be only a brief description ("You see a man in a corner of the tavern"), while others may have complete game statistics and backstories.


title: Non-player character

text: There is some debate about how much work a gamemaster should put into an important NPC's statistics; some players prefer to have every NPC completely defined with stats, skills, and gear, while others define only what is immediately necessary and fill in the rest as the game proceeds. There is also some debate regarding the importance of fully defined NPCs in any given role-playing game (RPG), but it is general consensus that the more "real" the NPCs feel, the more fun players will have interacting with them in character.


title: Non-player character

text: In some games and in some circumstances, a player who is without a player character can temporarily take control of an NPC. Reasons for this vary, but often arise from the player not maintaining a PC within the group and playing the NPC for a session or from the player's PC being unable to act for some time (for example, because the PC is injured or in another location). Although these characters are still designed and normally controlled by the gamemaster, when players are given the opportunity to temporarily control these non-player characters it gives them another perspective on the plot of the game. Some systems, such as "Nobilis", encourage this in their rules.


title: Non-player character

text: In less traditional RPGs, narrative control is less strictly separated between gamemaster and players. In this case, the line between PC and NPC can be vague.


title: Non-player character

text: Many game systems have rules for characters sustaining positive allies in the form of NPC followers; hired hands, or other dependant stature to the PC. Characters may sometimes help in the design, recruitment, or development of NPCs.


title: Non-player character

text: In the "Champions" game (and related games using the Hero System), a character may have a DNPC, or "dependant non-player character". This is a character controlled by the GM, but for which the player character is responsible in some way, and who may be put in harm's way by the PC's choices.


title: Non-player character

text: The term "non-player character" is also used in video games to describe entities not under the direct control of a player. The term carries a connotation that the character is not hostile towards players; hostile characters are referred to as enemies, mobs, or creeps.


title: Non-player character

text: NPC behavior in computer games is usually scripted and automatic, triggered by certain actions or dialogue with the player characters. In certain multi-player games ("Neverwinter Nights" and "" series, for example) a player that acts as the GM can "possess" both player and non-player characters, controlling their actions in order to further the storyline. More complex games, such as the aforementioned "Neverwinter Nights", allow the player to customize the NPCs' behavior by modifying their default scripts or creating entirely new ones.


title: Non-player character

text: In some online games, such as MMORPGs, NPCs may be entirely unscripted, and are essentially regular character avatars controlled by employees of the game company. These "non-players" are often distinguished from player characters by avatar appearance or other visual designation, and often serve as in-game support for new players. In other cases, these "live" NPCs are virtual actors, playing regular characters that drive a continuing storyline (as in "").