Votre Coeur: Observations from AWARE EGM

Observations from AWARE EGM

Posted by Mastermind at 5:22 pm

I spend $40 to sign up as an associate member of AWARE and attended the 7 hour marathon EGM last Saturday. The atmosphere was electricfying and the old guard really proved their point that Josie Lau's team is incompetent to lead AWARE. Here's some of the observations I made that was not reported by the press.

Info pack from the old guard

1.) The old guard helpers came in different age, race, gender and other background, dress in white and red tee with 'we-are-aware' written on it while JL's helpers came in red with 'pro family' messages written and were mostly Chinese aged 30s plus. Some of the old guard helpers were young and fashionable ladies who modified their tee that they wore. Both groups managed to organise their supporters to volunteer their service to help out in this event.

2.) The old guard helpers greeted us along the escalators all the way up to the registration booths. They passed around drinks and snacks and gave out information sheets to all voters. JL's helpers were suppose to give members a copy of the proposed amendments to the constitution for the EGM but they failed to do so. In fact, one red shirt gentlemen actually caused a bit of confusion in the queue not once but TWICE by leading people to the wrong queue and also getting others to cut queue. In that terms, the old guard are more experienced and better at handling such events compared to the JL and co. So it is 1-0 for the old guard

3.) During the EGM, JL had to constantly refer to their legal counsel for advice or re-direct questions to the legal counsel. E.g. On why the male chapter is removed, the answer was the constitution did not provide for one. When asked why sub-committee heads were removed the answer was the constitution says the term lapse after AGM etc. However, when it was mentioned that JL's actions were not constitutional, e.g. that sub-committee members have the right to appoint their own head but they ignored, that they need to consult members to spend $20,000 or above in a month which they hadn't done so. The series of quickfire exchanges between the old guards and JL shows that JL's team is indeed incapable of leading AWARE as they really know nothing about AWARE. 2-0 for the old guard

4.) Most of the questions came from the old guard's supporter and they queued up for the microphone to ask questions in an orderly manner. JL's team asked for opinions from different perspective on several occasions but her supporters were largely silent or when they speak, they were incoherent or downright insensitive. For example, one such supporter said that $120000 - $90000 = $30000 gain when referred to the points that JL's team spend $90000 in 3 weeks but managed to get in 3000 new members for AWARE, totally missing the point that AWARE is a NGO and that amount of money should be better spent on programs to help the marginalised etc. The fact that JL's managed to garnered about 35% of the votes in her favour but failed to get even a single person making a strong stand for her leadership also show that her supporters are not able to answer the old guard's critics nor find any constructive points of their short term in office. 3-0 to the old guard.

Many supporters turn up and are enjoying this occasion. Many old friends met up.

5.) When the old guard is in trouble, you get NMP Mr Siew Kum Hong supporting them, you get other lawyers giving legal counsel pro bono, you get TV artists like Irene Ang speaking up for them, you get NUS lecturers speaking up for them, you get people from all walks of life, different professions, racial background, religious background (Buddhist, Christians, Atheist and Muslims) etc speaking up for them. When JL's team is in trouble, no one from outside their circle speaks up for them. This fact along speaks volume of the differences in status, respect, moral authority that the old guard has compared to JL's team. 4-0 to the old guard.

6.) JL's team, which came from the corporate culture hence would not bat an eyelid for spending $90,000 within weeks was ill-suited to NGO culture which a lot is about consensus, inclusiveness and working for nothing. Some of the JL's team members spoke of working hard till 4am in the morning just to make things work, but they seemed to forget that the old guard spent 24 years of their life building AWARE up to today's level. In terms of personal sacrifice, we all know who made more and for a better cause. 5-0 to the old guard.

7.) That JL's team failed to recognise and understand some of the more subtle points put forward by the old guard. For example, JL's team quoted that CCTV were installed because of security reasons as there was a break in 5 years ago when the old guard pointed out that women in need will be turned away by the cameras. JL's team failed to realise that the basic needs of a desperate women is to be able to turn to help anoymously and the presence of their husbands and cameras in the centre will really turn away those who need help.

Also, when questioned if they knew about the monthly free legal clinic and that they failed to hold the recent free clinic, JL's team immediate response was to blame others for their failure. Such response from them clearly show that they are ignorant about how to help others.

That JL irresponsibly published the CSE guidelines meant for qualified trainers online and in the papers in order to prove her point that the old guard is pro-gays will caused confidential information be leaked out and may cause more harm than good if untrained people get hold of the information package but does not know how to implement it properly.

How could JL be sincere about helping other women when she and her team is oblivious to such basic facts is really a mystery to the old guards and many others. 6-0 to the old guards.

8.) JL's team managed to sit through 6 hours of constant grilling by the old guard on the hot seat proves their determination to hang on to their position till the very last hour. 1-6 as JL's team pulls one back on the old guard in this respect.

The old guard helpers in action

There are more observations but I don't think it will be suitable for me to share it here. What you can read online and from papers would be part of the story that the reporters get to report since the press were not allowed in until the old guard took over. Although a few reporters went in as members and the online community provided instant feedback, one will miss out the tone, the hesitation and lack of confidence in their words, the lack of direction that JL's team display and the responses of the people attending the EGM that day. It was truly an enriching experience.

Josie Lau trying to make her Presidential speech while many of the old guard supporters displayed their unhappiness at her by jeering her points that she made

Here's some of the classic and defining moments I experienced during the EGM.

a.) When NMP Siew sat with the old guards at the ordinary member (read female) area, JL's team protested and requested NMP Siew to move to the associate member (read mostly male) area. The old guard and NMP Siew refused but the mike on the ground was turned off (so much for engaging women as they even control when you speak and where you sit). When they finally managed to speak up via the microphone system, the old guard pointed out the following points.

There is nothing in the constitution that separates the associate members from the ordinary members in a general meeting
That JL's team member has her husband with her during AGM, so why is it that the husbands now have to be separated in this EGM
That NMP Siew is a legal counsel for the old guard hence he has the right to be seated with the old guard.

b.) Self proclaimed feminist mentor Thio showed off her credentials as the first female law dean, proclaimed that the old guards supporters were hooligans, threaten that AWARE will be gone if they do not abide to the constitution, and barked that people should show her respect as she is an elder etc. In responses, several men and women took up her challenge and retorted

Respect needs to be earned
That she is a women and she would not want her to be her mentor
That in other religions (e.g. Buddhism) and according to Health Promotion Board, being a homosexual doesn't make you less normal. Hence proving FM Thio's points about AWARE's Comprehensive Sex Education in the press conference previously as superfluous.

c.) The fact that JL's team asked for security to escort some of the old guards out because they disrupted Josie's presidential speech, that she wanted the security to escort all photographers out because some used the flash when she set the rule 'NO'. The fact that she had 4-5 security guards at the door step to inspect all bags, that she constantly have at least 2 security guards around her at all times. The fact that female security guards were stationed inside the washroom. The constant paranoia display by JL's team, I don't even remember so many security guards when an MP came to our school for visit.

Video recording by someone.

d.) That a Muslim father of 3 children, a self proclaimed conservative Christian and many others who stood up to express their support for AWARE's CSE program to prove to JL, FM Thio and co that there is a considerable group of Singaporeans who find CSE totally acceptable in their point of view cast doubts on their claims that majority of the Singaporean would be alarmed at the neutral words used for terms such as homosexuality and anal sex in CSE.

e.) Sally Ang told the old guard to "Shut up and Sit Down". In respond, the old guard supporters mentioned that today, we have to "Stand up and Speak up!" instead.

f.) Some old guard supporters thanked JL for making the old guard of AWARE household names in the past weeks because they have been working tirelessly in the background, fighting for the rights of women and other marginalized group without recognition from Singaporeans for 24 years and through this saga, many Singaporeans stood up and took notice of their fine achievements and contributions to our Nation.

g.) After the vote of no confidence results were out, JL needed half an hour to consult her legal advisor etc before deciding to step down, something that, the old guard rightly pointed out, someone else will just take one minute to do so.

h.) While waiting for JL's team to return from their private time to consider their positions after the vote of no confidence, the old guard got all their supporters to stand up and stretch out with some laughing exercise to lighten the tension in the hall.

Many engaged supporters in the EGM

i.) After the old guard decided to move the motion of removing JL's team as they failed to return 15 minutes later, the old guard reminded all of us to accept and welcome JL's team graciously with applause should they turn up on the stage later.

j.) Many old guard supporters stayed late till the last committee member was elected into AWARE, long after the last of JL's supporter left. The smiles of victories, the old guard helpers embracing each other, the signs of believe that the worse for AWARE is over in everybody's face. The passion and emotions running among the old guard, this is an organisation who truly believe and is making a difference in Singapore.

In the end, JL's team was booted out. Throughout the EGM, JL's team still maintained her knower's stance as she kept ordering the old guards, supporters, and security guards around. This stance is neatly summed up when FM Thio stood up in the EGM and proclaimed that the old guard were slacked and didn't care any more when they let others have the chance to take over in the AGM. How wrong can she be. Hopefully this won't repeat itself, there are plenty of avenues for Singaporeans to voice their concerns, and the last one to choose is to act like a saviour by taking over groups, and hopefully, this will not become as vicious as what some other groups have done in overseas.