AWARE saga over? It should not
AWARE EGM on 02 May 09 certainly shows passion and concern of women in Singapore, of their rights and representatives. Not only that, they showed appreciation of transparency, hard work and trust.
The old ‘new guard’ was condemned as to have not shown nothing regarded as trust, transparent, diversity, relevant, leadership, civilized through their action or words.
Moving forward, I would think that these questions or issues need to be addressed:
1) Accountability
SGD90,000 has been spent in just such minute period- as compared to the years of history of AWARE- during the old ‘new guard’ management as compared to meetings using second-hand-furniture-and-straw-mat-sitting when AWARE first started. Josie Lau, Charlotte Wong, Maureen Ong, Jenica Chua, Sally Ang, Lois Ng, Irene Yee all need to held responsible on how the money was spent, especially in the current global financial uncertainty and especially so since AWARE is an NGO. The $$ spent, is not for those women to spend in such manner, the $$, could have been channelled to better cause. And based on membership increased, someone brought up that AWARE still ‘earned’ SGD30,000 as the membership increased would give AWARE an additional SGD120,000 based on SGD40 per annum membership fee. But the truth is, SGD120,000 is per annum, meaning in a month, the allowed $$ to be spent should SGD10,000. As the old ‘new guard’ has spent SGD90,000, it means that they have spent 9 months’ allocated fund! It means for at least half a year, AWARE has no $$ to work on. And to take it that the president from the old ‘new guard’ is working with a bank, a financial company, as vice president and that the hononary treasurer has a first class honours degree in accountancy and has 30 years of experience in finance, tax and treasury management in various industries… spending SGD90,000 in just about a month is so inefficient and shows incapability of leadership. Account for all that please…
On accountability, besides the money spent, the new exco and speaking parties need to be accounted for their claims. Dr Thio Su Mien, the self-proclaimed “feminist mentor” of the old ‘new guard’ has been contacted by MOE about the inappropriateness of AWARE programme at schools. MOE has stated, no public member has complained, and Dr Thio herself has not complained to MOE, in verbal or written before the AWARE saga. I would think that the Singapore nation would demand for a clear cut response, especially in view that she was never ever being remembered as being part of AWARE or any feminist group in Singapore who stands for the rights of Singaporean women besides being mentioned in a publication. The old ‘new exco’ members also claim that they are reverting back to the original course of AWARE. Until now, none of them has never addressed that. They did not reveal any concrete plans or programmes that prove their points. They can still do now, though the relevance of them disclosing their programme is of another issue.
Though MOE has suspended and is going to review all the sexual programmes conducted in schools, Dr Thio still should be demanded a respond to her claims and her actions. She should also respond as to why she did not lodge complains to MOE.
2) Constitution
The constitution of AWARE or any organisation needs to be relooked into to prevent such coup and to allow transparency. The new ‘old guard’ needs to fine-tune the constitution such that hideous and unforeseen takeover such as the recent chapter would not happen again. The constitution should not allow irrelevant members and questionable members who have never contribute to the course of the organisation to take over the organisation itself.
The constituency should also include transparency and accountability. For example, though free media was not allowed to record the EGM, an official media should be appointed for transparency and accountability sake. And the question on the SGD90,000 spent by the old ‘new guard’ needs to be addressed and this has to be included in the constitution as well.
Fundamentally, the question was asked ‘I don’t understand what has become of our people.’ The answer is pretty simply: The uncivilised coup by a certain group of people was not and will not be appreciated by the multi-racial, mulit-religious and complex Singapore due to the lack of trust and transparency. The respect to such coup shall be non-existence and shall not be entertained. That is the answer, and that is the message, and that is the lesson to be learnt by the one or others who dare to comment as such.
3) Other organisations
Other organisations should take note of such takeover… All organisations should review their constitution and ensure that uncivilized takeover would not happen. Arguing on moral ground is gonna be weak, so please, ensure your member recruitment, your exco election, etc are fool-proof. Specifically to AWARE, those fundamentalists Christians manage to hijack legally… it’s so damn sad and wrong, but it’s legal… so please, learn from the AWARE saga. Protect organisations from overzelous one-single-minded groups with hidden agenda…
What I wish to see from the new ‘old guard’ are: The old ‘new guard’ should not be let off the hook so easily. They have to pay, and please include that Dr. Thio as well. Make all of them pay, pay, pay… They won’t go bankrupt, no worries about that, coz if they don’y have personal funds to handle all the payback, i’m sure their church wuld rally for help… And please, no sympathy to them too, afterall, they took the takeover simply as a business transaction, so regard what the old ‘new guard’ did as business, and those ladies simply did not handle the business well; simply firing them is not enough, as this is an NGO and there’s a need for accountability, besides proving that the new ‘old guard’ has the fangs for accountability.
What’s next? What’s next? The public and AWARE members are interested to know, at least I know I am…
