Aware saga: Disagree? Form own group

April 25, 2009

Aware saga

Disagree? Form own group

Founders say those who disagree with Aware's issues should form own group

By Nur Dianah Suhaimi
		Old guard members from left, founding member and past vice-president Margaret Thomas, Ms Corinna Lim, who has served on several Aware excos, programme manager and social worker Deeksha Vasundhra, founding member and past president Kanwaljit Soin, past president Dana Lam, and associate member Tan Wah Kiat. ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

FOUNDERS and longtime members of the Association of Women for Action and Research on Friday slammed the new women in charge for the way they seized power on March 28.

Founder member and former nominated member of parliament Kanwaljit Soin said: 'It is not just a women's issue but the whole issue of how civil society actors behave in Singapore.

Old guard members counter allegation on pro-gay stance AWARE'S old guard on Friday rejected the new leaders' accusation that the association had become pro-lesbian and pro-homosexual. This was their response to the allegations made on Thursday. PROMOTED A LESBIAN MOVIE ... more Too diversified or too focused? AWARE founder member Margaret Thomas wants the new executive committee of Aware to make up their minds. President Josie Lau, she pointed out, had said in a TV interview that the old Aware had diversified too much and needed to consolidate. ... more

'If the new members do not agree with Aware's issues, then they should not join. There is plenty of room to start another organisation.'

In a statement, the old guard attacked the way in which a group of unknown new members showed up at the annual general meeting and put a set of new faces in charge.

If they were unhappy with Aware, they could have complained, invited Aware to a seminar to discuss its programmes, or even written to the media.

'Instead, these women joined Aware in the few months before the AGM and then voted their representatives into the executive committee - without giving any indication that they were acting together. They continued with this stance until Thursday when they told the truth.

'This cannot be the way forward for Singapore. We cannot have people acting like moral vigilantes running around and taking over established organisations.'

They said they were glad the truth was finally out, that the new group had been guided by senior lawyer Thio Su Mien.

Dr Thio revealed on Thursday that she had been disturbed by what she felt was Aware's preoccupation with promoting lesbianism and had encouraged women to join and take over Aware. She called herself the 'feminist mentor'.

The old guard said: 'If Dr Thio and her mentees feel that Aware has strayed from its original aims, or that some of the programmes are unsuitable, then go ahead and criticise Aware, but do so openly.

'Better still, form their own association to offer parallel programmes with what they see as the right messages, and let the public choose which they prefer. Their motives and actions will then be visible to all, there will be transparency and accountability.'

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