New AWARE Exco Remains Defiant

Today ran this story on 20 April 2009:

More than a numbers game
Loh Chee Kong

EVEN as both factions are reportedly gathering support for theMay 2 showdown — in which members will vote on a no-confidence motion in the new Exco — the power tussle at Aware could require more than just sheer numbers, with its constitution not providing specifically for a no-confidence vote.

Asked whether her committee would step down in the face of a majority vote at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting (EOGM), Aware president Josie Lau instead questioned the commitment of those pushing for the motion towards “women’s issues”.

Of the 160 signatories for the EOGM, 120 joined only after the annual general meeting (AGM). Only five of the 40 older members actually attended the AGM.

“The other 30 or so members were not even interested enough to show up,” Ms Lau told Today.

With membership rising to 600 — up from 440 just three weeks ago, before the saga began — a big turnout at the EOGM is expected.

Ms Corinna Lim, a spokesperson for the Old Guard, pointed out the Constitution states that “management is vested in general meeting” and the Exco “always remains subordinate to the general meetings”.

Should the Exco refuse to budge, the issue could be brought up to the Registry of Societies, said Ms Lim, a corporate counsel.

While the leadership tussle is unlikely to go away anytime soon, Ms Lau remains undeterred — despite the fact she is a reluctant leader. She revealed on Channel NewsAsia’s Talking Point yesterday that she took the post after everyone else turned it down.

The controversies surrounding her appointment, including the public reprimand from her employer DBS, have strengthened her resolve.

“Once I’m in, I’m in. There’s no such thing as dropping the baton halfway,” she said.

She would not be drawn into taking a stance on homosexuality — a “very controversial topic” — only saying that “the new Exco will have to take a look at this and see what is the direction we want to take”.

Some newspaper reports have claimed that Ms Lau and at least five other members are part of a church that adopts a strong stance against homosexuality. But Ms Lau stressed the Exco “was not there to push our personal religious affiliations”.

Her team had come into power following a controversial AGM on March 28 when they were voted in by a large group of new members. She denied that the Exco had orchestrated a leadership grab, insisting that several members were previously strangers to one another.

Criticising the ex-leadership for having “lost its focus”, she said: “We have to bring it back to basics and try ... to equip our younger women to take on leadership position roles.”

Aware would be seeking to introduce several “constitutional changes”: Expanding the voting rights to men, expatriate women and teenagers above the age of 15 who could seek parental consent to join the society.