| By Teo Wan Gek and Elizabeth Soh | ||
 |  | The atmosphere in the meeting held in a function hall on the 4th floor of Suntec Suntec City Convention Centre was highly charged. --PHOTO: DESMOND LIM |
A strong turnout of 2,000 members, many of them newly registered, showed up at the EGM at the Suntec City Convention Centre to debate and vote on the proposed constitutional amendments to give voting rights to associate members, and to table a vote of no confidence in the new team.
Questions came fast and furious from the floor as scrutineers tallied the votes
A member, who calls herself a 'devout Christian', pointedly asked the new president Josie Lau if helping all women would include helping lesbians, and if the new team will be 'more or less gay'.
Responding, Ms Lau, who is the line of fire, said she would stand up for 'discriminated lesbians'.
The atmosphere in the meeting held in a function hall on the 4th floor of Suntec Suntec City Convention Centre was highly charged.
Boos and jeers greeted Ms Lau when she stood up to make her opening remarks.
Ms Lau, who brought in a new executive committee on March 28, was repeatedly interrupted in her address by the audience, differentiated by the old guard members in white tee-shirts and new guard in red shirts.
She had to ask the security guards to order them out of the meeting hall.
The opening was also marked by an ugly outburst from Ms Sally Ang from the new executive committee, when she angrily shouted to the jeering audience to 'shut up and sit down!' The crowd booed and insisted that she leave the meeting.
Ms Lau intervened and apologised for Ms Ang's outburst. Ms Ang was not subdued. She turned on the booing members again and told them to let Ms Lau continue speaking.
Hours before the EGM opened at 2pm in the fourth floor hall at the Suntec City Convention Centre, the battle lines were visibly drawn, with two distinct camps all set to slug it out.
The new guard volunteers came wearing red shirts with the words 'Pro woman, pro family, pro Singapore' emblazoned on the back of their shirts, while the old guard volunteers wore white shirts with the words 'We are Aware' and handed out packages with badges and pamphlet explaining the vote of no confidence against the new committee.
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