The following is Aware’s president Josie Lau’s latest email message to members, 28 April 2009
Dear Valued Members
Since my election as President on 14th April 2009, I have received intense media attention. A group of AWARE members has gone public with various allegations and have called for an EGM for the specific purpose of removing me and my team. We have only been in office for less than 20 days.
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.
However, we should not be passive where we can band together to work for positive change. There are many things worth protecting and fighting for.
We want to make a positive difference to your lives and to our society. A good place to start is to help the many distressed women affected by the current economic crisis.
We are dedicated towards continuing our role as an NGO to ensure the effective implementation of CEDAW standards. We want to see abstract standards translated into meaningful policies which directly affect our lives and well-being. We will constructively engage with all interested governmental and non-governmental agencies, to progressively bring this goal to pass.
CEDAW as a women’s rights treaty belongs to all women. We are resolved to enhance widespread awareness of CEDAW standards among Singapore men and women and to provide an open forum to discuss how to better realise these standards.
We wish to honour and celebrate the achievements of first generation Singapore women and to emulate their spirit of perseverance and to learn from their experience and vision. In so doing, we connect the present to the past, as we work together for our better future.
I hope to see you at the upcoming EGM where we will present preliminary details of our programme and projects. My team and I seek your active support and participation in implementing these to serve our community.
AWARE belongs to you.
Warmest wishes
Josie Lau
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After the meeting, they will all be going to church to say their “thanksgivings” but thanking for what, well that’s left to be seen,
Come come AWARE we BEWARE will be definietly be AWARE of what you are getting up to and you also better BEWARE!
“Aware belongs to you,” says Josie Lau
Apparently, some people agree! watch -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAAEusdEKxY
To the new AWARE exco that should not be
Now this is the story that we must tell
Some people are just playing it foul
Lesbians, deviants, they like to name
But who even invite them to this game?
I don’t give a care who’s your aunt-in-law
Don’t pull this dumb shit if she knows the law
Women got to teach what girls need to do
If you’re full of doubt, first go back to your school
Let those without a sin cast the first stone
The way we all see it you’ve usurped the throne
Be a good employee, go count money
Focus on your little own family
Don’t act like AWARE is your property
What you’re doing now we call moral felony
Understand first, we need a free country
Keep your tongue-speaking to church proximity
You should have shown a little transparency
You’re not God, so don’t fake invisibility
So why you need to gang up silently like that
Creeping through the backdoor just like that
Locking the door on poor women like that
Spider lilies what? It’s not like that
Just listen
The times are ahead of ya
Our brains are ahead of ya
We’re not afraid of ya
Peace won’t be there with ya
Even government would say we need a society that’s secular
Chinese non-Chinese we speak the women vernacular
But vision of your church is a tunnel monocular
So back down now, before things get uglier
Don’t get us wrong, this is not us against Christians
Just restore AWARE to its original guardians
We need an NGO that’s all inclusive
Ask yourself now, who’s making this explosive
Big men with guns toy with their weapon
True feminists don’t force down their opinion
Rational people can talk it out
So get out of your hiding and talk it out
Get out!
i tink josie lau better stay at home cook dinner for husband n kids, if any.
I don’t understand why is it so difficult for the new excos to give up AWARE seats, even at the expenses of their loved ones, lives at stakes, they don’t even have the experience to run it at all. They don’t even have a quater of the vast experience like the old AWARE excos have and it takes many years to learn, selfish fundamentalists. Just because they think it clashes with their christian values and beliefs doesn’t give them the right to jeopardize the whole nation with all their religion chao about homosexuality. Their pastor is also very evil in instigating and waging war against the old AWARE, in the Holy Bible, by staging and waging a war against others, these fundamentalists are even worse than committing the sin of being a homosexual.
What’s wrong with CSE? After all students may already learned about sex from internet and friends.
Homosexuality?
My dad and mom says it is bad.
My friends say what’s wrong with it? It’s great. I let you try…
There is so much gay and lesbian talks in the chat rooms.
I am confused…
Read the rest from http://inspirationfortoday.wordpress.com/
83) Modernist on April 30th, 2009 12.21 am ,
you have an agenda, your agenda is to see the division . You continue to stoke up the hatred against the christians. You keep repeating that the new AWARE is anti gays and lesbians and impliedly saying that christians hate the gays and the lesbians. There was never any statements made that the new AWARE is anti gay nor they are sworn enemies of the homosexuals.. You also accused the church of anti gays. The church has a ministry that cares for these people. Don’t you think that it is distorting a fact .This is not truthful.You know better as a lawyer.
You also used words like infidels. What do you mean? Who are the infidels? Are you whipping up hatred against the chrisitans just like in the old days about 1500 years ago when christians were called infidels when they realised they were unwittingly hoodwinked to support a wrong agenda.? As a muslim, you know what I mean..
This is getting out of hand. Who ever wins this saturday give them your blessing
This is respecting the constitution. Both groups have good intention to serve the interest of abused and disadvantaged women . They are vieing for the right to serve and the contention is about how to best serve. Don’t fuel the religious fire.
#88) Joshua Lung on April 30th, 2009 1.57 am
#97) Joshua Lung on April 30th, 2009 11.19 am
Regarding your comments on adding “regardless of sexuality” to the pledge, you said it, no one else said it. Are you advocating for this? Isn’t this fearmongering?
And all your sermonizing on your website, that’s well and good but you do not force your agenda onto someone else under false pretences. The ends do not justify the means. And, bottom line, that is what is so objectionable not to mention disgusting about the hijacking of AWARE.
Do u honestly believe that a cabal of people who acted secretly and without disclosing their true intentions, and who subsequently lied to the world on television and who have a “mentor” who is pulling the strings, make good leaders and provide good moral values?
And #97 – come on, you mean children are so dumb? “My friends say what’s wrong with it…” what friends? With this statement, you are already judging that the child is surrounded by gay friends. What about other friends who say the opposite such as religious people like yourself? Oh and how about the FAMILY and the parents? You mean they stay silent? Look, that child should either be very clear of his/her sexual inclinations and I guarantee you most of the time, its straight. If the child is really confused (a rarity) that means that that child already has issues and needs to be assured that he/she is not a freak and such things happen.
Come on Joshua, let’s talk about verifiable facts, things that have happened (like telling lies ) and not things that might (or might not), that could have (or could have not), that perhaps maybe…..
#89,
i am Christian, i have never for once thought that AWARE belongs to me. at most, i will only consider that i belong to AWARE if i join it, and the first thing i will do is to kick Josie Lau and her team out.
“Preserve the Law, but don’t impose it on the Gentiles,” Paul of Tarsus to James (from the Emmy Award Mini-Series ‘Peter and Paul’.)
Anthony Hopkins gave a really cool performance of Paul btw.
After watching the interview on CNA’s talking Point, I do not believe you are sincere saying ” AWARE” belongs toYou”. You have given me the impression you are rigid, inflexible, biased and very evasive in answering simple direct questions. Removing all the old guards and the sub-commitee shows your high handness .Congratulations, you have changed and reformed AWARE overnight . You and your new EXCO team are the saviour ,doing Singapore women a big favour by weeding out the bad elements in AWARE.
A good and able leader must have the ability to make the masses feels comfortable and trust in you. You have FAILED to do so.
Your message should reads ” AWARE belongs to You” – “you” referring to your goodself and your virtuous EXCO Team.
Questions for the new ex-co:
1. Are the appointed law firm and PR agency working pro bono?
2. If not, who is bearing the costs? Bearing in mind Aware is a non-profit organisation
3. As new members of Aware, what do they know about feminism and how to advance women’s rights when old staff have been fired and advice from veterans have been disregarded
Maureen said she is a conservatiive woman, and the new exco comittees are all conservatives women by the definition of their church. If the new exco members are all conservatives, how could they possibly represent women who are more liberal, and more opened to society of differences. If I was a reporter at the RTC conference, this question would have send them dumb. Because the new guards are going to convert AWARE back to ancient time instead of moving foward with changes in the world. At least we now saw that the old guard has more foresight than the new guard.
103) David on April 30th, 2009 5.00 pm
And David, I would argue that the term “conservative” is misused as well. “Conservatism” as opposed to “liberalism” (and also that much trotted out but seldom understood term “family values”) includes a whole host of values such as honesty and the right to determine one’s own life, free from interference.
I doubt that Maureen and Co really understand the meaning of the term “conservative”, especially the part about honesty. You know, I really wonder at how the pro-New Exco posters can figure that such people who have openly admitted to being liars, can be good shining examples to the children of Singapore as leaders of a civic society and how the fact that they lied can be reconciled with their “conservative religious” values.
Josie Lau dun just say “Aware belongs to you” (all women), back it up with action & step down.
tsk tsk tsk…
I seriously feel very sorry for those christians who are not involved in this clown show because fundamentalist lau and mentor thio has already smeared the good name of christianity by engaging in a petty and childish power struggle for the sole purpose of promoting their holy religion.
@ 97) Joshua Lung on April 30th, 2009 11.19 am
>>Homosexuality?
My dad and mom says it is bad.
My friends say what’s wrong with it? It’s great. I let you try…
There is so much gay and lesbian talks in the chat rooms.<<
and then teacher say normal… i is more confused liao… :p
Alot of bashing on the New Guard here on this blog. We know that neither the old nor the new guard will bother reading these blogs so all these hold no water. The general belief system and reactions going around from athiests, buddhists, hindus and muslims are that they are against the promotion of warped human behaviour. But they do not discriminate them. There is a difference. Its like you love your child but do not necessary agree with their behaviour all the time. So you correct it by engaging in corrective demonstrated actions. If votes were made on “Wrongs versus Rights” as oppose to ‘New Guard versus Old Guards” or “Christians versus Secularity” we know who will surface victory. It’s very clear.
My mum says proselytisation is bad. My friends say its ok. My teacher says its bad. Now I am really confused. Why are big christians bullying small aware? Josie doesn’t want to answer direcetly. She just say, “aware belongs to you”. Maybe after tmr, she says, “aware belong to me, to me, no one else but to me!” lol
#104 Freeman,
thanks for your kind words. i also feel very sorry for myself as a Christian and my other fellow Christians who do not share the same view as COOS, the feminist mentor thio and the new exco team.
our religion is holy, with or without them promoting it. my concern is that are they really doing it out of faith or i dont know what else. you know how human have strong desires for glory, fame and power, and some among us have stronger desires. those have nothing to do with faith.
But honestly, I believe religion should not be brought into a non-religious organisation like AWARE.
So, the new guard had better get out.
It would be an injustice if the new team is voted out. They should be given a chance. 12 months we should know what they can do or cannot for woman. Aware is for woman only. MAN don’t interfere please!
>2,000 “warring” females are expected at Suntec City conference hall 2moro!
As a vote of no confidence requires a 2/3 majority, I doubt the old Aware can topple the new Aware.
But those going should not fear for their personal safety…..I was just informed that the SPF would be sending 3 troops of female riot squad cops. These fierce chabohs are well trained and have been itching to put their hard training to the test 2moro!
So not to worry……even if a cat-fight happens. But I hope the Aware females are not sharpening their nails.
re post # 111) Max Chew on May 1st, 2009 4.30 pm
really, that is a good news if true, but as things are, its still better for our sane women not to take their personal safety lightly, i do not think the female riot squads are in the limited confines of the toilets.
all women better check that the main entrance/exit cannot be locked okie!
women, please switch on your voice recorder function in your phones if stepping into a place where there is no CCTVs, just in case “something” happen… in the eyes (& ears) of the law, audio & video recordings can make a differences between justice being served or not!
can i add another thing, that TOC people on the ground bring more memory cards & spare batteries for their still/video cameras? if things get ugly you all have evidence to nail those perpertrators!
all males please keep an arms length from “some” women, to avoid being accused of things you never do!!
Do you trust a group with 24 years of experience or a group with less than 5 months of experience only…. the choice is not hard right?
Do you trust a group who worked 24 years and too easily trust the intentions of other or a group who use lied and breached trust to get what they want ….. Not too hard either.
Do you want a group who will help women regardless of race, religion or sexuality OR a group whose belief system is christian-based and forces they beliefs into others ….. Easy choice.
Do you want to have a group whose intention and leadership are transparent or a group who have lied since beginning about their intention and is influenced by a non-AWARE women and have affiliation with a church….. No-brainer.
WOMEN….. THEY NEED YOUR HELP.
Let me look at the other side of my coin.
Jose and her team has an agenda of concern. they did something about it. Together with some other women who not only have a belief, they took action. They did not just talk, blog or post. As part of the due process of AWARE election and democratic process, they were elected. That is democracy (new word for some of you?) got elected.
Indivividual, teams and groups have done similar previously to push an agenda – we hear of how clubs, membership segment, etc doing that, and usually nothing sparked off. No cat fight. Life goes on.
In this case, perhaps the reason for the reaction is the gay, lesbian issue. Somehow, the supporters of the old guard decided to, consistently, bring in religion. Some will call it a seditious act (try substituting COOS with some religion shared by our neighbours). That they are from COOS is like saying that a political party has members led mainly from some school. I am OK if that group is more align with the national agenda.
Let’s have some perspective. The blog boat is rather unbalanced now. Could it be that really there is truth in the silent majority, which we all know are the conservative majority?
#115) 2-cents on May 1st, 2009 6.38 pm
Its not only this thread that is condemning Josie and gang. Almost every thread in every site condemns them. Of course there are still those very funny posters (*giggle*) who give themselves nicks like “Concerned Parent” who then try to argue that “I don’t want my children to be influenced…what is MOER doing blah blah” – so fake that its funny. if they were really concerned parents, they would have been following what their children were learning in school long ago and would have protested then, instead on only when the Mighty Feminist Mentor “taught” these “ignorant” people (her words, not mine, okay?)
some people should keep their fear in check, some have the fear gripping them so tight, the brain cannot think properly…
The way I see this whole saga is that the new team does want to bring AWARE back on track but honestly the way they handled the whole matter from the beginning is very bad. I personally feel that they could have reflected their concerns in the past year through the `right channels’ first- e.g. writing in to AWARE, MOE etc, and also exercise more wisdom and immediacy in handling media and PR matters, use more sensitivity with old guards and members. These are their failings and they need to make amends for them. On the other hand, I don’t quite believe all that the media has been portraying them – being all evil and sneaky. From observation, having followed this saga, read many comments and watched related interviews , I believe these new exco members are caught by surprise by the way and the speed which the tides have turned in just a couple of days (I think they may have expected winning a few seats but probably didn’t anticipate they will win that many) which explain why they are so unprepared with their press releases which led many to wild guesses, clumsy and unpolised ways in handling the media, people and situations properly because they didn’t expect this and make prior needful prep for smooth speeches, charming PR moves etc when they win big-time. Of course, these are no excuses for handling things badly. Hope they will do what is wise and right tomorrow to resolve and end this saga in a most amicable way for all parties.
the new Exco had the time & brains to prepare a stealthy takeover successfully from the old guards, but no time & brains to defend their action? they have a mentor (a Dr Thio, not just any run-of-the-mill mrs or mdm) didn’t they?
these are some smooth operators, not some fuddy duddy heartland housewives. they only thing they did not prepare is what are they going to do after the takeover (of Aware’s leadership positions). if they needed more time tell everyone including the media, that they will step down & think their plans over. ideally form their own civic group.
#110,
if i am a member, and have the right to vote, why would i want to vote for a team which i despise. to give them 12 months to do what, so that i can despise them more?
1 month have passed, thats long enough. they have showed what they can & have been doing (& did), & what they cannot do.
hahaa…. =P
#120, maybe the new exco can do better than the old exco. religion can be a plus when used correctly to inspire. Christianity is about freedom and love, as mentioned by Gwee guy
the new ex-co won’t step down without a fight la. to do so is to admit they’re wrong.
Parents ought to control their kids. Else they may grow up to become weirdos, sinners. Dr Thio has never been more wrong about singaporeans in general. Jackie Chan too. Singaporeans need more control and regulation.
Very interesting to see how an organisation that once had hardly any members nor anyone interested in it has suddenly so many people joining, for obviously the wrong reasons, After this whole saga, perhaps many people might withdraw from the membership and go back to their normal lives or hitch on the next fight?
Why don’t we have half the exco is old guards and half is new guard?! Kind of solves the problem ya?
Josie is right. Aware belongs to all of us. Everyone has a right to vote and support the wiser new guard.
Parent youre wrong.
go away josie, shoo! like a vultures on dead bodies. already eat until bones. still want to continue until nothin left.
@ 121) mice is nice on May 1st, 2009 11.24 pm
what have they done in 1 month?
- removed Braema Mathi as CEDAW subcomm head
- changed the locks to AWARE office
- terminated service of Schutz Lee, AWARE office manager
- indirectly caused resignation of Claire Nazar, Chew-I-Jin and Caris Lim (the only 3 of the old guards among the new ex-co)
- cast a pall over the reputation of christians who are not involved
- gave all women in singapore a bad name over the ‘cat-fight’
hmm… did i miss anything?
the only good thing that came out of this is prolly parents now sit up and will (hopefully) take more responsibility over teaching their kids moral values in line with what the family believes in, instead of leaving it all to school or MOE to settle.
#122 KL.
first, it is not about whether they can do better or not. it is about intergrity, the backbone of a leader, a leading group. what they did, sneakily hijack AWARE, was totally of no intergrity, to the point of low down. in fact, until this very day, they have yet to clearly address this issue.
next, “religion can be a plus when used correctly to inspire.”, this i agree though. but how about keep it within the religious institutions, be it temple, church or mosque, or any other places where the receipient readily want and accept. the way i see feminist mentor thio, josie and the gang, they seems to be ready to stuff their plus into others’ throats without invitation. remember “if they are ignorant, i will teach them.”
KL, i am also a Christian who believes in only one God. Christianity is about freedom and love, definitely. so do you mean i should offer freedom and love to josie and the gang? the way i look at it, we all have our freedom of choice, josie and her gang has chosen their path, they will just have to be ready for their judgement, be it with the public or with God.
as for love, i dont usually love the people i despise. but i am still learning, so maybe someday i will.
We adults are focussed on this storm in a tea cup when the real focus should be our children. Not just the Christian children, or the Muslim children, or the Hindhu children, but ALL the children of Singapore. The rest of Asia watches us, for Singapore is a trend-setter to Asia in such areas of excellence as education. Our children are the ones affected by sex education, but they have NO VOICE in this debate!!! Because we speak for them, we are in the position of fiduciary trust. Everything we do and say for them has to be done to the utmost standards of morality and conscience. It is better we do not teach anything if we are not satisfied that the content is the best for the children. That is the issue.
re post #129) tj on May 2nd, 2009 1.40 am
you missed out
- anyhow say MOE’s CSE program promote GBLT’s lifestyle.
- divert precious time & energy being bogged down by a huge distraction, instead of helping women as Aware’s core aim.
i do hope parents do not pass-the-buck to MOE for every thing that a responsible loving parent/s ought to do. this CSE program came about because of feedback no less….
REad Mathia Lee’s site which I quote here about the conduct at the AGM:
“Jan to March 2009 – AWARE received around 120 new applications to be members. About 40 were on photocopied forms.
Nearly 80 of these new members attend the AGM on 28 March 2009. They sat staring straight ahead with no expression, not responding even when older members make small talk such as, isn’t the bee hoon delicious? (I mean, how many Singaporeans you know won’t even respond to a comment about food?!). They sat equally expressionless when passionate speeches were made about needing to have some experienced members on the Exco, but then raised their hands emphatically during voting time.
In the end 9 out of 12 Exco seats went to newcomers, 9 people that NONE of us had ever heard of, much less seen before.”
That’s what happens when people have been brainwashed. These people who went to vote are either zombies or fembots. Shame on them. All motivated by the rallying call of their pastor or feminist mentor. They have become impervious to reason or rationailty. The sad part is that tomorrow, more of the zombies or fembots will come out to repeat the history. ANd they said the Church was not involved. I fear for Singapore’s future. If these people win tmrw, I shall seriously consider migrating. I dont want to live in a country where bigots prevail.
parent, you are so wrong…..what josie lau was trying to say is AWARE belongs to you, my dear Church of our saviour and my fellow christians!
No, Josie. Stop trying to sound that you and your whole lot of henchwomen are being victimised. It was crystal clear right from the start – your bungled up press conferences and contradicting statements – all points to the untruth. And then you had to bring out the main puppeteer, the Grand Demented Feminist Dementor to salvage your own debacle. That was all very telling, and we the secular audience are not as stupid as you may like to think. AWARE was never for us as you had claimed, it now belongs to your henchwomen and henchmen at CooS. You do not deserve the support from us, the secularists, the majority in this nation. I hope God will have mercy on you for what you did, because I won’t.
In short, I’m all out to vote for Josie Lau to step down and stay out of Aware’s good old way. New isn’t always good….esp in this case.
My salutes to Josie and her team for stepping down graciously definitely better than those Old hens who cried & screamed for blood because they lost.
Those silly old hens keep hammering you on your religious affiliation which I find it stupid. All I know is you and your team could have better things to do but you chose to lead the Association away from the dark side. My hats off for you.
You have good intentions but they were misunderstood and also because the Old Hens kept playing the religious cards. I wish you and your team well.
(BTW I’m a guy.)