A L V I N O L O G Y II

I attended the extraordinary meeting (EGM) of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) yesterday.

I was very surprised by the huge turn out of nearly 3000 people. Singaporeans are a passive bunch who usually do not bother to stand out and be counted. In this instance, maybe the saga had fired up raw nerves as it involved the personal, touchy issues of sexuality and religion.

I arrived at Suntec at around 1.30pm with Rachel who was there to cover the event. There was already a long snaking queue all the way from the entrance at the fourth floor, down the stairs to the third floor! Interestingly, there’s also a Qin Shan (青山) Mother’s Day concert on the sixth floor – there were a lot of confused aunties and grandmothers concert-goers who got mixed up in the AWARE queue. The two very different group of ladies provided an interesting contrast.

 

Queue begins on the thirth floor

 

Crowd was still flowing in at close to 2pm, the time the EGM is scheduled to begin

 

The queue continues on the fourth floor

 

Full view of the queue from the third to fourth floor

 

Joining the queue

 

Rachel with our friend, Lai Chow who is also an AWARE member

 

Registration at the entrance

 

Lots of reporters and cameramen milling outside the conference hall

 

The entrance

 

Security was tight, with bag check conducted on all attendees

To get into the conference hall, you have sign up as an AWARE member for S$40. I did not sign up as I did not want to pay. Hence I headed to the library at Esplanade to wait for Rachel. However, I did manage to get in at around 5.30pm when I got hold of one of the admission stickers.

The hall was only half filled when I got in and the AWARE new guards ex-co, led by Ms Josie Lau, the president were bombarded with fiery and piercing questions from the floor one after another. It was clear to me that the new guards’ supporters had left them in the lurch, unwilling to speak up for them, though willing to cast their votes and be counted.

Dr. Thio Su Mien, the “Feminist Mentor” who orchestrated the new guard takeover was public enemy number one last night. Whenever her name was mentioned, there will be loud jeering and booing. It was impossible for her to speak as the angry crowd will drown out her voice whenever she takes the mic.

 

Packed conference hall

 

Another crowd shot

 

Josie and her pussycats

 

Nominated Member of Parliament, Mr Siew Kum Hong

 

Local celebrity, Ms Irene Ang takes the mic

 

Firing off at the new guards

 

Zaibun Siraj shoots off at the new guards

 

The crowd will cheer heartily whenever potshots are made at the new guards and jeer whenever the new guards speak

 

Public enemy number one takes the mic

 

A smirking Dr. Thio Su Mien, “Feminist Mentor” of Singaporean women

Video recording of the Dr. Thio Su Mien’s speech, via sqpixels:

The result were out at 8pm. A vote of no confidence to axe out the entire new guard ex-co passed by a margin of 1,414 to 761 votes. The new guards were given 5 minutes to consider their immediate resignation, but they only came back at 9.15pm. Nonetheless, the entire team resigned.

A new ex-co, led by Ms Dana Lam, the freshly minted AWARE president was elected by 9.30pm, thereafter the EGM was closed proper.

Frankly, I was quite taken aback.

I always thought the ones with the most extreme beliefs will be able to mobilise the largest support, given the level of fanatical extremes they will go to just to meet their objectives. The liberals and the moderates on the other hand, tend to be less confrontational and take a back seat to events.

This AWARE saga proved my perception wrong and I am quite heartened this is so.

 

Crowd elated that the new guard had lost

 

Crowd goes wild

 

Emotions run high

 

A very happy lady

 

A rare, tense moment when both the new and old guards shared the stage

 

The new guards returned to the stage briefly to announce their immediate resignations from the exco

 

Everyone’s happy the new guards have quit

 

Lots of cheering all round

 

The newly elected exco, comprising of the old guards

 

Constance Singam and Dana Lam in a hearty embrace

 

In a celebratory atmosphere

 

Members of the new exco, led by new president, Ms Dana Lam

 

The wife of the late David Marshall, congratulating Hafizah Osman, a newly elected exco member

 

The new exco posing for media shots

 

The new AWARE president, Ms Dana Lam, bombarded by the media

 

The old guard team

 

Another group shot

 

Speakers from the old guards

 

Packing up

 

This in summary, is what AWARE should be about

In any case, the good thing that came out of this whole saga is that most Singaporeans are now aware of AWARE, bringing an obscure civil society into national stardom. Hopefully, the freshly minted ex-co members will be able to leverage on this new-found level of awareness and brings AWARE to greater heights, not forgetting the fundamental principles of extending help and relief to all Singaporean women, regardless of race, language or religion.

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