The Battle in Suntec
9.30pm: There is joy in the air and everybody is celebrating the victory and there will be party all night long at Bugis Junction…. Just joking.
9.10pm: the outgoing exco receive a big round of applause and left the room.
9.05pm: New exco appeared and graciously step down.
9.01pm: Dana Lam is nominated as the new President and Vice-President is Chew I Jin.
8.50pm: A motion is passed to remove the current exco from office and a new exco elected.
8.20pm: Mdm Singam gives the new exco 5 minutes to consider resigning.
8.00pm: Results are out 1414 for yes and 761 for no. Margaret Thomas asked the new exco to resign .
7.45pm: “I am a teacher and a minority. Does the panel know what it is like to be marginalized? We have to give a voice to the marginalized. I was so disturbed so much so I came up. Aware was formed a quarter of a century ago, so much has been done.
7.35pm: “I think the previous exco is perfectly capable of manning its own Constitution and if we ever flouted it, all it does is for a member to write in to ROS and action will follow suit. It is impossible to understand that what you have been trying to do when from the first day, you are reluctant to tell us and now you said you want to follow what the old committee is doing.”
7.20pm: “You have misappropriated funds as far as I see. What’s wrong of reaching out first? You are in a position of power….You wondered why we are so angry, but at the beginning, you are the ones who erased our voices and we are not the ones going around to remove people. We are not causing any physical harm and you are calling your guards to remove us, is this fair?
7.15pm: “I am a Muslim with 3 daughter. I was a criminal investigator. In the course of my work, I have seen so much fear of women that they are not worthy of men. I support the work done by the old Aware…We need to have evidence, the spirit of inquiry to enable our ladies to make informed choices and because of that, I would be very proud of my daughter to go through the CSE programme. And I have one regret being a father, I regret that my daughters are not here today to witness the spirit of the women at Aware today.”
6.43pm: “As a NGO, money is a big thing! We have to build networks to reach out to everybody. This corporate culture clashes with Aware as a NGO which alot is about consensus, inclusiveness and working for nothing.”
6.41pm: “I feel very sad to come to a woman’s organization where its President asked us to ’shut up and sit down’. Today is the time to speak out, not shut up and sit down, never!” (applause broke out)
6.34pm: “I am a trainer in the CSE. The three words – anal sex, homosexuality and lesbianism are only mentioned in one and a half minute out of 3 hours of the programme of which half is spent on promoting abstinence – how to refuse sex. The material is meant to be private and confidential and for the person to put it online is downright irresponsible.”
6.26pm: “I would like to clarify about the CSE, if you not aware, 15 years of research showed that CSE is inclusive and appropriate in its teaching of use of condoms and to discuss a wide range of sexual techniques and study have shown that such a programme will delay onset of sexual activity and promote safer sexual activity and behavior leading to decrease in HIV infection rates at later life, so I don’t understand why you are discrediting this programme. As a parent myself, I would like my child to go through this programme. Just discussing a wide range of sexual behavior does not make one a homosexual. Your child won’t come back and say ‘Hey, I want to marry a person of same sex!”
6.25pm: “You have destroyed Aware, an organization with 25 years of proud history. Go and start another organization of your own!”
6.22pm: “The new exco has used such a large sum of money without approval from its members. Can we report it to the Commissioner of Charities?” [legal counsel refused to answer, claimed it is outside his purview]
6.20pm: Constance Singam appealed to the audience to accept the result of the ballot, whichever it turns out, in good spirit.
6.16pm: “I am a legal advisor of the old guard. I would offer legal advice to Aware pro bono. If you have asked for help from the old guards, you would have to be able to obtain free legal advice. Did you ask?
6.15pm: Legal counsel: “Under Article 18 of the Constitution, it is stipulated that the exco is not authoritzed to spend more than $20,000 for purposes of the society without approval of its members via a secret ballot.
6.12pm: “I would like to ask the legal counsel for opinion about the new exco spending $70,000 more that the legal limits set by Aware’s constitution (applause broke out).
6.06pm: “I am an academic in Singapore and I would like to clarify something about feminism. You can cannot speak out for a marginalized group like women without speaking up for all marginalized groups regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. I have traveled all over the world and everybody I spoke to has high regards for Aware. Today, Aware has an international profile which is respected by human rights activists, please don’t undermine the international credibility of aware by your thoughtless actions.
6.05pm: Results will be out in 10 minutes.
6.02pm: “This is ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING. You have spent $70,000 above the accepted limit!!!”
6.00pm: Josie Lau: “The estimate cost of the legal counsel is NINTY THOUSAND or $90,000!!!” (no joke, you are not hearing wrongly.
5.55pm: ”I understand that a legal counsel cost ten of thousands. Please give me an estimate on how much Aware has spent on the legal counsel even if you cannot give me an accurate figure.
5.51pm: “It is very bizzare to say that just because we propose allowing associate male members to vote, we are promoting homosexuality. This shows you are not ready to lead the organization at all.”
5.50pm: Josie said she will send lesbians who are discriminated for counselling. Somebody from the crowd shouted: “but we don’t trust you!!”
5.45pm: “I am gay and I am concerned about the new exco saying homosexuality is not okay. I feel terribly insulted. Please do not impose your values on everybody. Sorry, this is not personal.”
5.40pm: I am Chiang, an event organizer. I am surprised you spent so much money on the event. Renting a place at $18,000 and paying for an event organizer should not have happened. You should be asking around for people to help, to ask for somebody to offer a free stage, if you have called me, I would have organized it for free. I am SHOCKED, I don’t know where my $40 is going. If, IF you survive this no-confidence vote, please put a lawyer on the exco and you won’t need a legal counsel, every single cent should go to the people you wanted to help!!
5.36pm: What is your stance on the male chapter of men? I am very worried about that.
5.31pm: Josie explained that the costs are being compounded and urged the audience to be patient. She pleaded for understanding that the new exco has very little time to handle the matter.
5.30pm: I Jin, the assistant treasurer claimed she has not been consulted on all maters proper by the new exco.
5.26pm: Josie explained that she has to outsource the event organizing to the Boardroom due to the short notice the EGM was called.
5.25pm: “To Josie, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I emailed you asking to meet so that we can work out the organization of the EGM together, but you are reluctant to do so.”
5.22pm: “The point is not whether you have spent over the $20,000. The point is you need to seek the members’ approval. You are NOT ABOVE THE LAW, you cannot change the Constitution to serve your own personal purpose.
5.21pm: Josie: “tell me how you will handle this situation.”
5.20pm: “I am a practising lawyer and you have breached ?ultra vibes the constitution by spending over the limit! The maximum amount you are allowed to spend is $20,000 and anything above, we the members reserve the legal right to…”
5.17pm: Questioner pressed on why new exco spent more than $20,000. Maureen explained that she had no choice as the membership has exceeded 3,000 this week and she has to get Hall 403 as well which cost $5,000. (crowd booed).
5.16pm:Maureen revealed that the Suntec venue cost $18,000, so the new exco has most likely over-spent the $20,000 limit.
5.15pm: Maureen Goh explained that Singapore EXPO venue was cancelled because police is concerned about law and order issues.
5.10pm: Josie Lau refused to answer the question directly, asked lady to sit down as she has asked more than 1 question, lady refused to go away, Josie asked security to “escort” her off.
5.07pm: Question asked about Aware’s spending. Under Aware’s constitution, Aware only allowed to spend no more than $20,000 a month.
5.05pm: Question raised about why new exco asked Constance Singam to leave the meeting. Josie replied that she was asked to leave because “sensitive issues” are being discussed.
5.01pm: Josie explained that Shultz Lee was sacked for insubordination and that the interim manager was recruited from COOS because she was immediately available.
4.55pm: Josie claimed she was given no opportunity to explain herself to members and was “played out” by the media.
4.51pm: Josie explained that she did not know Sally, Jenica or Maureen before the Aware AGM. She reiterated that she was invited by Claire Nazar to join Aware to help out in the marketing.
4.50pm: The crowd is fielding questions at the new exco who kept pleading to give them a right of reply.
4.45pm: New exco referred to legal counsel again if constitutional amendments should proceed.
4.40pm: Legal counsel asked for show of hand who oppose continuing the debate on the constitutional amendments. The majority of the crowd raise up their hands.
4.35pm: New members protest against the constitutional amendments as many have not read it here. One proposed it to be postponed to the next AGM.
4.32pm: Thio Su Mien? called the crowd hooligans. “You should be ashamed of yourself!”
4.31pm: Josie Lau wants to go through the constitutional amendments, somebody from the crowd asked her to step down till the vote count is completed as she may not be the President anymore.
4.30pm: Voting has been completed. Votes are being tabulated now.
4.25pm: The red shirts are leaving droves after casting their votes, this is obviously a wayang.
4.15pm: Voting now in process.
4.11pm: Siew Kum Hong speaking. I ask the legal counsel what the legal option should be to monitor the voting process.
4.10pm: The voting begins. Ballot boxes are being passed around.
4.07pm: Thio Su Mien forced to stop her speech. Crowd kept chanting – “We are Aware! We are Aware! We are Aware!!”
4.02pm: Thio Su Mien going to speak, crowd BOOED!!! “I believe I am a feminist mentor because…, please show some civility” (crowd kept interrupting). “Listen to me, I was….you have NO RESPECT FOR THE ELDERS” (BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!) “I was the first female law dean..”…ORDER, ORDER, please listen!!
4.01pm: Thio Su Mien going to speak, crowd BOOED!!! “I believe I am a feminist mentor because…”
4.00pm: I am a new member and previously unaware of aware and not I am aware of aware after today. You have shown no respect to others, this is not God’s follower. It is totally deceptive.
3.57pm: I join AWARE only 3 weeks ago and I support a vote of vote against the new exco. For those of you sitting out there supporting the new exco, they are all of the same race, the same faith and worship in the same place.
3.56pm: As a non-Christian, I am suspicious of your insidious motives to take over Aware and for the first time of my life, I am afraid of Christians.
3.55pm: Is it not true that you (Josie) have been not open and honest with us from the very beginning? I am worried that if you stay on in Aware, you may change the fundamental mission of Aware! You and your team are not qualified to lead this organization.
3.50pm: New exco request for the right of reply, crowd won’t allow.
3.46pm: Constance Singam speaking. You have to trust and honor the achievements of the old guards over the last few years. Where were you when women are abused and battered in their homes? Where were you when women are denied equal medical benefits? Where were you??? Crowd chanted “Where were you??”
3.45pm: I am Irene Ng, a Christian and I do not support the new exco. Josie said she wanted to help women tide over this economic downturn, but the first thing she did as Aware president is to fire the center’s manager, a woman!
3.41pm: Josie Lau invited legal counsel yet again to explain about the sacking of the subcommittees.
3.30pm: Voting going to commence soon, instructions being given to members.
3.21pm: Legal counsel speaking now to clarify certain matters.
3.15pm: Josie showing membership statistics, AGM in 2008 shows AWARE is losing membership of younger women, since the media publicity, there is a surge in membership to over 3,000 as of yesterday.
3.10pm: Josie talking about the controversial CSE, claimed she will be talking to MOE shorting about it.
3.00pm: Josie finally began her President’s address.
2.50pm: Josie Lau’s speech kept getting interrupted by the crowd who demanded the mike to be turned on and questions allowed to the floor. Josie Lau asked legal counsel to ‘advise’ again
2.47pm: Legal Counsel asked crowd to give Josie Lau opportunity to address the members.
2.45pm: Josie Lau clarifying – “I join AWARE because I am interested in women issues, education and gender equality. I was keen to join as EXCO member, unfortunately on April 8, Ms Nazar resigned…
2.40pm: Josie shorten her President’s speech.
2.36pm: Mdm Singam fired the first question on why seats separately allocated for associate members,
2.35pm: the new exco arrived, EGM started proper