AWARE: a case study in respect

AWARE: a case study in respect

If I were to use the name of one music act to describe the controversial AWARE saga that thankfully came to a satisfying 7-hour conclusion a few hours ago, it would be that of UK electronic-punksters: Does It Offend You, Yeah?

About 3,000 Singaporeans were sufficiently outraged enough to turn up at AWARE’s EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) yesterday at the Suntec Convention Centre. Most of them were new members who had just signed up in the past month, as the number of AWARE members surged from 300 in April to an all-high at 3,000 yesterday.

1,411 women voted in favour of no confidence in the new exco, while 761 voted against it. In between casting the vote in a ballot and waiting for the results to be out, many poured themselves into queues, each waiting patiently to speak at the microphone, many of them articulate, some emotional, some hurt, and some who wondered out loud. It was, as they call it, a landslide victory for the AWARE establishment. “This is a win for civil society,” said Constance Singam.

So, with that, two months after the now infamous Mar 28’s AGM (Annual General Meeting) that marked AWARE’s first harrowing tumble in its 24-year history with the new exco, order was restored. The voices of the people were heard. AWARE now returns to its rightful, trusted hands.
Everyone has read about the unceremonious treatment that the new exco extended to the AWARE veterans: unwarranted firings, installation of new locks and surveillance cameras and several resignations from old committee members.

But what drove the final stake into the heart of the new exco yesterday was its talk-down behaviour and patronising tone that masterfully exemplified to the very audience it sought to serve, just how thoroughly incapable it was of showing respect to the women of Singapore.

As a hall of unhappiness greeted them, the new exco grabbed on tightly like clams in a storm with their Rajah & Tann legal advisors. Assistant honorary treasurer Sally Ang bluntly told founding AWARE member Margaret Thomas to shut her trap; honorary treasurer Maureen Ong hung on to the umbrella defence of “May we have some legal advice?” to sometimes seemingly straightforward questions; while president Josie Lau ordered security guards to remove photographers and jeerers. At one classic point, a member posed Josie Lau a question but the latter steadfastly looked down at the desk. Her lack of response signified that she was not listening.

And what was the members’ response? One noted the irony of Sally Ang’s ferocious “Shut up and sit down” command to Margaret Thomas: “I heard that [phrase] all my life… I feel very sad to come to a woman’s organisation where its president tells us to shut up and sit down.” Another member gleefully stated that she was pro-choice (choice being a major bugbear for the new exco, who were seen to be pushy and have an anti-gay agenda) to the loud applause of the crowd.

When ‘feminist mentor’ Dr Thio Su Mien was overwhelmed by boos from the crowd, her words were served curdlingly cold: “Show some respect to your elders.” And when the new exco were faced to numerous real questions, they seemed lost, repeatedly uttered "Let us have the right of reply", but had no real answers.

As one member observed aloud, does the new exco have any passion in what they do?

Furthermore, they have admitted to spending an estimated $90,000 in just one month alone, when $20,000 is the monthly cap according to the constitution. This money could have been channelled towards much better use, such as its programmes and operations. This financial fix is another illustration of just little the new exco understood of the workings of an NGO: that it thrives on strong community bonds. It forgot, or maybe simply cast a blind spot towards the fact that a real community exists beyond its one small entity — one that might have seen very willing and resourceful supporters come forward to extend their help free of charge or at a very nominal fee.

Truth be told, it cannot be easy sitting as one of the new exco members. You need sheer guts to face a hall full of reasonably guarded individuals who have already more or less made up their minds about you. But knowing when to stop, and stepping down respectfully when starting is a misguided move, versus stepping down when you are forced to as a last resort — that makes a world of difference (extra demerit points for pulling out the plug to the microphones at that). And for that alone, the new exco members may just be a bit too late.

Even as the old AWARE team graciously tried to salvage a bit of their dignity by calling for a round of applause as they departed, they have lost their case for respect in a “court of opinion” — ironically too, since they hardly seemed to have any for its members.


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