Government Won't Interfere in AWARE Saga

ChannelNewsAsia ran this story on 26 April 2009:

Government won't interfere in AWARE saga
By S Ramesh/Cheryl Lim

SINGAPORE: The government has no intention of intervening in the saga involving AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research).

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan, said this on the sidelines of his visit to Nee Soon South on Sunday.

The problems facing AWARE are not a national one, so it is best for the organisation to settle them democratically and according to its constitution.

But still, the minister feels that Singaporeans can learn some lessons from the AWARE saga. The first is not to let a single issue hijack an organisation's agenda.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "There will always be some issues where you cannot get everybody to agree. We need to be able to learn to live and let live, to agree to disagree, and to do so agreeably. But don't let these single issues polarise or divide us and become the be-all and end-all of your social activism or your organisation."

The minister also emphasised that it is important for all Singaporeans to remember and also remain sensitive to the fact that they are living in a multi-racial and multi-religious society.

That's another lesson that must be learnt from the AWARE episode. So it is important for organisations to keep religion above the fray of petty politics.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "We want to protect and nurture the special place religion has in our society. We don't want our religious organisations to be compromised or be damaged by the hurly-burly of politicking which appears on the ground. It is not a good idea."

Lastly, Dr Balakrishnan said, if organisations want to make meaningful change to Singapore society, they must ensure representation from all segments which constitute the group.

He said there are many more challenges facing Singapore and women. It would be good to focus on them and not get distracted.

Separately, Law Minister K Shanmugam also said it is for the members of AWARE to sort out their problems.

He said the Societies Act clearly spells out how associations should conduct their affairs and the association's constitution also regulates arrangements between members.

He said: "The rules are all clear and one assumes that they will act according to the law and to their own internal constitution. I think it's premature to comment on what we might or might not do. We don't really get involved in this. It is for the members to sort it out."