Nevertheless the current EXCO would prefer to move forward instead of pursuing action against Josie Lau and her team. The present EXCO has since asked various service providers for discounts and donations and has reduced costs by $8,000.

___

At the 2 May EGM several members queried Josie Lau and her Exco about the cost of the EGM. Calls were made, both at the EGM and in media forums subsequently, for the money to be recovered from the members of that Exco.

After taking office, the current Exco formed an internal review team to look into the expenses incurred by the previous Exco and determine whether their decisions and actions adhered to the AWARE Constitution and other established practices.

The EGM cost a total of $99,291.28. This was not quite covered by the $98,765.70 in membership fees paid by the 2,748 people who joined AWARE or who renewed their membership between 29 March and 2 May.

The current Exco wrote to all the companies that provided services at the EGM, explained the financial situation and asked them to consider making a donation to AWARE. Rajah & Tann have donated $5,000 and Deloitte & Touche $3,000, while Boardroom has indicated that it will be making a donation. Suntec and Ape Communications declined on the grounds that they had, in total, given AWARE a 26.5% discount on the facilities and services provided.

The review team found that the previous Exco did not adhere fully to the AWARE Constitution and established practices. Also, they could have avoided some of the costs, for instance, by trying to get pro bono legal advice and asking AWARE volunteers to act as scrutineers.

“We will not, however, be taking any action against the previous Exco,” said Ms Lam. “There are several reasons for this. We recognise that they were handicapped by their lack of NGO experience. Secondly, we have been able to recover part of the costs through the generosity of some of the vendors.

“Most importantly, we want to get on with our work – which is to identify and help remove the obstacles that prevent women from realising their full potential. This is, and has always been, AWARE’s agenda.”

Related Coverage:

• ST Breaking News – New Aware team sets goals
• Channel News Asia – AWARE proposes changes to its constitution
• ST Breaking News – No action to reclaim $100k
• ST Breaking News – Josie Lau’s team won’t be sued
• ST Breaking News – Aware to report on women

Press Kit:

• PressKIT EXCO Profiles
• Aware Media Con 6 July – Dana’s Opening Remarks
• AWARE Media Release 6 July 2009
• AWARE Media Release 6 July 2009 – EGM costs

Related:

• July 7, 2009 -- Video: New AWARE Training Institute Programmes
• July 7, 2009 -- AWARE Press Con Highlights
• May 31, 2009 -- Dana Lam: No Apologies
• February 22, 2009 -- Dana Lam – File Photos
• June 18, 2009 -- IS Interview: Dana Lam

Dana

 
Will you be making changes to your constitution to prevent a repeat of a backdoor takeover?

YES. We are looking into tightening processes to ensure whoever is standing for election will have at least done some groundwork and has some knowledge of what is to be AWARE.

 
There is also a sizeable groundswell of opinion that some of your policies are out of step of with Singapore’s societal values. What do you say about that? And what are you doing about such perceptions?

Our programmes and policies are guided by the principles of gender equality for all. In the past 24 years we have successfully lobbied for the removal of the quota on women entering medical school, for equal medical benefits in the civil service, for protection against spousal violence and the rights of children born to Singapore women with foreign spouses.

We have contributed research papers on the experiences in our schools, on population issues and, on aging in Singapore among others. Ultimately, we are for a gender equal society where women have equal opportunity, choices and responsibilities with men.

If this is against Singapore values, what can I say? But, I would like to think we live in a more compassionate and reasoned society than our detractors appear to imply. I don’t think of it as being conservative or liberal. You can be conservative and still be compassionate and reasoned. You can be liberal and still be reasoned and compassionate, can’t you?

 
How did last Saturday’s “touch-base” with new members go? How many actually turned up? What events did you guys have?

We had over 20 people. Among them was an 18 year old college student who has volunteered her time during this June break. She said she was moved by the discovery that she didn’t have to fight for what are her rights today because they had been fought for her. We also heard AWARE has gone up in ‘cool’ factor among younger women! That is good to know. I think the best thing from May 2 is how it gave women and men a very real experience of what it is like to be counted.

 
Will you use this new mandate to try to build more tolerance and openness in other areas of Singapore life – not just gender equality but also racial and religious equality.

Our constitution is women specific. Although, I would say tolerance -non discrimination – is implicit in the core values of Trust, Respect and Choices for all women.

Related:

• June 14, 2009 -- IS Interview: Margaret Thomas
• June 14, 2009 -- IS Interview: Farid Hamid
• June 14, 2009 -- IS Interview: Hafizah Osman
• June 14, 2009 -- IS Interview: Pamela Poh
• June 13, 2009 -- IS Interview: Joanna D’cruz

THANK YOU,

May I ask your indulgence and invite the Exco of AWARE to join me on stage.

Thank you.

Good Evening ladies and gentlemen, friends,

The world is a stage. And AWARE is our band. And, more importantly, EVERYONE plays a part.

We have been way too much in the news lately. We thank those of you who have continued to speak up for us. We have been busy house-keeping and planning ahead. In a few more weeks, you will likely hear from us.

For now, I would like to reiterate that AWARE has never deviated from her mission of promoting the development of a gender equal society. We do this by furthering the emotional, psychological, physical, intellectual health of women to enable them to contribute optimally to the development of a functional, and balanced society.

Therefore, we make no apologies for our programmes. We make no apologies for the support of straight, homosexual or any other members.

However, we do apologise to those supporters- the teachers, parents, students, a certain NMP and others whose association with us has drawn flak from employers and public.

We apologise to sponsors who have been funding our activities for a good 24 years. We apologise to our volunteers; we apologise to our members of staff for the inadvertent trauma of the past weeks.

Tonight, we celebrate these top girls and boys. Please join me in acknowledging their contribution.

It leaves me now to thank the organising committee, sponsors Bengawan Solo, Wine guru and Harry’s bar and the Wessex theatre’s talented cast and crew.

Tonight, unlike at the EGM, I promise you, there will be bad language and there will be women behaving badly.

Enjoy!

Related:

• July 7, 2009 -- AWARE Press Con Highlights
• July 6, 2009 -- AWARE Presscon: The $90k Question
• May 21, 2009 -- Response to MOE Decision
• May 7, 2009 -- I am AWARE of Reflecting and Letting go
• May 3, 2009 -- Open Letter: The euphoria and the reality

Related:

• April 28, 2009 -- Video: One Cause for All Women
• July 7, 2009 -- Video: New AWARE Training Institute Programmes
• July 6, 2009 -- AWARE Presscon: The $90k Question
• July 2, 2009 -- Video: Yvonne Reflects
• June 25, 2009 -- Video: Hafizah Reflects

Related:

• April 28, 2009 -- Video: Interview with Dana Lam
• July 7, 2009 -- Video: New AWARE Training Institute Programmes
• July 6, 2009 -- AWARE Presscon: The $90k Question
• July 2, 2009 -- Video: Yvonne Reflects
• June 25, 2009 -- Video: Hafizah Reflects

Dana Lam is the President of AWARE.

Related:

• July 7, 2009 -- AWARE Press Con Highlights
• July 6, 2009 -- AWARE Presscon: The $90k Question
• May 31, 2009 -- Dana Lam: No Apologies
• July 7, 2009 -- Video: New AWARE Training Institute Programmes
• June 18, 2009 -- IS Interview: Dana Lam