Josie Lau’s first official statement as AWARE President rings hollow to a unsympathetic audience

Josie Lau’s first official statement as AWARE President rings hollow to a unsympathetic audience

In her first official statement as AWARE President which was posted on its website (Source: AWARE), Ms Josie Lau made an impassioned plead to all Singaporeans to give her team an opportunity to serve the community.

Her conciliatory tone was in stark contrast to her demeanour during the press conference called by the new exco last week where she was in a combative mood.

“I am a woman seeking to serve other women in Singapore. Like you, I have struggles. I do not have all easy answers to the many hard questions that life throws up. No one does.” she wrote.

Josie promised to make a positive difference to the lives of AWARE members and society, one of which is to help the many distressed women affected by the current economic crisis.

I would really love to give Josie a chance to prove herself had not for the ugly turn of events occuring during her short stint as President which leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of everybody.

The sad truth is: Josie has lost the moral authority to lead AWARE. Even if she managed to cling onto her position as President in the coming EGM, it is nothing more than a hollow victory.

Had Josie and her new exco won the elections on their own merit in their individual capacities without involving their Church, nobody would have bade an eyelid.

The new AWARE under her leadership will be a pale shadow of its glorious past with the seeds of mistrust, suspicion and acrimony being sowed in the ranks of the fissured community.

The sexual minorities will probably shun AWARE altogether while non-Christians will remain sceptical of its agenda. AWARE can no longer claim to represent the interests of all women in Singapore.

I can understand that this must be a very difficult period for Josie and her family. She has been put under intense public scrutiny since the first day she became President. Her employer had come out publicly to denounce her for accepting the position.

She was constantly ridiculed and harangued by many in blogosphere. Death threats were sent to her family and to add salt to her wounds, the public at large had little sympathies for her judging from the lukewarm reaction so far.

It must be a traumatizing experience for her to be subjected to so many upheavals in one go. Why is she hanging on? Just for the chance to lead an organization which she joined only lately?

Much as I sympathize with her plight, I feel that Josie should relinquish the position of President before the EGM in the interest of all parties.

Josie’s position is untenable at present. It will be humilitating for her to be voted out of office. If she somehow manage to survive the vote of no confidence, she will be leading AWARE without the trust and support of a significant proportion of women it purported to help.

Either way, it is unfortunate that what should be a purely internal matter of AWARE is now turning out to be a free-for-all slug fest between the supporters of the old guards and new exco which the media will gleefully savour with delight.

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