Respect rights of minorities

Respect rights of minorities

I AM perplexed by the Aware saga, especially after Dr Thio Su Mien said she was the 'mentor' to a number of new exco members. This raises some concerns:

1. Aware president Josie Lau reiterated that this change in leadership was never a coup. She mentioned that she did not know several members of the newly appointed exco, who coincidentally attend the same church as her. This is at odds with Dr Thio's assertions that she encouraged the women to take up the posts.

In an interview on national broadcast, Ms Lau likewise stated that she was the 'last man standing' on the night of April 15, indicating that she had no prior plans to take up the presidency. This is contradictory, again, to the statement by DBS Bank that she had given prior notice that she intended to run for the appointment.

And despite the new exco claiming that it will tap the wealth of experience of the old exco, reports have shown that it has tried to exclude the latter by various means. These include not informing certain old guard members of events and changing the locks of the offices without prior notice.

2. Exco member Maureen Ong was quoted as saying: 'I don't want my children to say that, oh, it's all right to experiment with homosexuality, to experiment with anal sex, to experiment with virginity or the pill or even premarital sex.' ('Group's agenda 'took gay turn'', yesterday).

I never knew these were advocated in the sex education programme in Singapore schools. There is a salient difference between highlighting and advocating. What seems to be the case, rather, is that the new exco, guided by its Christian values, is trying to dismiss the notions that these issues even exist in the real world.

This is flawed judgment. Schools should educate and bring to light these issues, highlighting the various pitfalls, rather than dismissing their presence altogether. The values portion of a child's development should be left to the integral family unit to be taught. It is myopic to think otherwise.

3. Will there be seclusion in time to come? It is evident now that the new exco is strongly driven by pro-Christian values. In a 2007 consensus, the majority religion in Singapore is Buddhism, at 42.5 per cent. Christianity weighs in at 14.6 per cent. With such a strong leaning towards church teachings, will the new exco alienate most other religions here?

4. Will evangelical practices become common? In a close, intimate counselling session between two parties, will there be an affirmation stated that religion will not be used as a means to give assistance to a help seeker?

5. What is next? Right now, the hottest issues are homosexuality and the sexual issues teenagers and young adults face. What will be the agenda of the new Aware? Will it further the drive to incorporate added dimensions of Christian lifestyles? The major concern is that the new exco has yet to deliver a clear vision and mission statement. This is troubling.

I am not a homosexual. However, I respect the rights of minority groups, and that they exist in the real world. They are people, like you and me. It is wrong to invalidate their presence and rights.

Like any adult, I simply do not partake in what I feel I do not belong in. We should give the younger generation the same right as well. This is the entitlement of an individual, rather than a privilege.

Jarel Seeh

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