Aware: Both parties marshalling members for EOGM

Fight Over Aware Leadership
Both parties marshalling members for EOGM
Feuding camps shaping up for a showdown
WHEN and how will the war of words between the newcomers and the old guard in the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) end?
By Ho Lian-yi
20 April 2009

WHEN and how will the war of words between the newcomers and the old guard in the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) end?

In a showdown of numbers, it seems.

Both sides are strengthening their positions by marshalling their forces before an expected extraordinary general meeting (EOGM) initiated by a group of Aware veterans.

They have done so with a petition carrying 160 signatories.

In a letter to the media, new president Josie Lau accused the old guard of artificially swelling their numbers.

She wrote: 'No more than five signatories were present at the 28th March AGM attended by 99 ordinary members and three associate members.

'Some 120 of the 160 signatories appear to have been recruited just after the AGM in time to swell support for the requisition.'

She also wrote that ordinary membership has hit about 400, compared to 253 in 2008, and it continues to grow 'at an impressive rate'.

So is the old guard marshalling its numbers for the showdown?

Former Aware vice-president Margaret Thomas, one of the 160 pushing for the EOGM, said: 'What do you mean by recruiting? We are not going around the streets saying join us.'

The people on the list, she said, are old members - meaning current members and former members whose memberships have lapsed.

There were also newcomers, from strangers to friends of friends, who are concerned and want to help, she said.

The exact numbers who joined recently could not be established.

'We didn't stick up a notice board and say, join Aware,' she said.

She agreed that it was a kind of 'grounds up' movement.

'A lot of people have been jostled out of a certain complacency. People are saying I'm supportive of Aware, but I was complacent, and never joined and showed support for the cause,' she said.

'This is a wake-up call. If I believe in something, I have to get off my seat and get involved.'

# Ex-Aware chief quits

MS Constance Singam has resigned from the exco as advisor in her capacity as immediate past president. She sent an e-mail yesterday afternoon to some Aware members. Her reasons for resigning:

# She gave advice at the first two meetings of the exco, but was ignored. She was particularly unhappy that the exco proposed to replace all subcommittee chairs with exco members.

# The possible ideological opposition of many exco members to Aware's fundamental values.

She said that several times, those who were standing for election were asked about their understanding of feminism and Aware's objectives, but their responses were, at best, non-committal.

# Her increasing concerns about the intentions and ability of the exco. She referred to DBS' statement about how president Josie Lau had breached its code of conduct for staff and that some of the exco members were from the same church.

As to whether she thinks the newcomers are recruiting to match the challenge, she said: 'Since that was the way they got into the exco (executive committee), I imagine they must be.'

There has been no date set for the EOGM, neither has it been reported if the current committee would table it.

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