Aware New exco got death threats

April 24, 2009

Leadership change at Aware

New exco got death threats

We are harassed and we fear for our families, they say

By Sandra Davie, Senior Writer
		Ms Maureen Ong with Mr Josie Lau (from left), who say sher committee members have been 'subjected to hostility and uncooperative staff members in the last three weeks'. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

A DEATH threat was sent to a member of the new exco of Aware as well as the husband of president Josie Lau.

The letter was addressed to honorary secretary Jenica Chua, as well as Dr Alan Chin, and sent to Aware's office on April 14.

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The letter writer called himself a 'masculine gay' and a 'jihadist sleeper' and claimed to have joined a militant group. He warned them: 'Wait for the day to come. I may not hurt you but someone you love most, that will cause you great pain.'

Ms Chua and Dr Chin made a police report on April 14 and the matter is under investigation.

Ms Lau, 48, Ms Chua, 35, and committee member Lois Ng, 44, yesterday revealed how they had been threatened after news of them being voted into the exco, and how the Aware secretariat had been hostile and uncooperative.

Ms Lau said she had so far kept 'a very stoic and dignified silence' but now had 'no choice' but to break her silence and speak publicly.

'I've only been an exco member for about three weeks, but to date, I've only been met with hostility, intimidation. I felt so bullied, I tell you,' she said, her voice shaking. 'My family received death threats and it's now a police case. Each day, I fear for the physical safety of my children, my family. There's even a blog site detailing my children's names and which school they go to.

'I don't understand what has sparked this irrational fear of us, the new exco members, and what hatred. If you're a parent, you will understand how I feel. I feel so indignant. All I wanted to do is to serve the community and be a member of this Aware, to push for the cause of women. Do I deserve this? Death threat? What has Singapore become?'

She said that as president, she has an official e-mail address at Aware but 'the secretariat has locked me out'. She has confronted the secretariat and 'the secretariat has been fired'.

Her committee members have also been 'subjected to hostility and uncooperative staff members in the last three weeks' when all they wanted was 'to push and start work and get going with our work. But will they allow us? No. They've just been pushing and pushing us, badgering us all the time'.

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