1414-761: Aware is Back!

(Going-ons and updates are detailed on The Online Citizen and tweets everywhere!)

It is ridiculous that at an EOGM, somebody unpopular on stage can yell at the audience to "shut up and sit down!" It is so childish for the organizers to resort to switching off the floor microphones. For a while there, I thought I was in the middle of an auction for the biggest tuna at the fish market.

Even more so, I'm amused that a self-proclaimed feminist mentor who thinks she commands great respect has to ask us to "respect your elders". Sorry lor, I only respect the elders who conduct themselves with enough integrity to deserve my respect. Her protégé obviously hasn't learnt that phrase either. Hasn't she heard that respect is earned? It is extremely thrilling to shout her down in the middle of her bigoted speech with narrow-minded perspectives. She would do well to preach elsewhere.

Personal religious values should never never encroach on secular organizations. Even more so, an NGO should never have spent money the way Josie Lau and her team did. They spent more money in 3 weeks than Aware's budgeted expenditure in 5 months without members' consent.

I have been so so angry for the last 2 weeks. There're many who think that the Aware saga has got nothing to do with them. Well, maybe. How do I even begin to postulate that it has alot to do with them, indirectly, that this isn't some devious money-spinning en-bloc sale. Since it doesn't impact one's pocket, Singaporeans generally don't care. I'm highly embarrassed by how the players have cemented the word fundamentalism with Christianity to a large number of people. What the hell happened to multi-racialism and diversity? But I don't say a word. I'm afraid that if I speak, I can't rein in that anger.

I'm glad I ditched the vacation to attend this EOGM. I'm very thrilled that the vote of no confidence against the feminist mentor's protégés has been carried through 1414 - 761. I'm even happier when Josie Lau and her team announced that they would step down. But I hate their use of the word "graciously". If they truly understand the meaning of gracious, they'd not have done what they did.

This Aware saga is something more than a catfight. While it is indeed an internal dispute per se, it is also about the voice of civil society being heard. It is about protesting against a select group imposing religious values on secular movements. It is about caring for the community and gaining the trust of the majority and minority. It is also about not sullying the name of your religion by using underhanded means in one's actions. It is about integrity and transparency.

Today, I'm glad to see that there're many women who care about women in Singapore. We don't need apathy. Aware's work will continue with passion, logic, understanding, vigilance and a strong unwavering voice.