A message from Josie Lau

The silence is broken

Go to the link for her full letter. I'm just going to quote parts here.

Dear Valued Members

Since my election as President on 14th April 2009, I have received intense media attention. A group of AWARE members has gone public with various allegations and have called for an EGM for the specific purpose of removing me and my team. We have only been in office for less than 20 days.

You have been in office for less than 20 days, 20 days during which no one knew your agenda or programmes. 20 days during which sub-committee heads were summarily dismissed without explanation. 20 days of a communications lockdown following a bizarre AGM where you were elected by a coordinated vote of more than 100 new members, without explaining your agenda, programmes, or even where you came from ("Hi! Feminist Mentor sent me to take over your organisation!")

I am a woman seeking to serve other women in Singapore. Like you, I have struggles. I do not have all easy answers to the many hard questions that life throws up. No one does.

Your easy answer, if I recall during the press conference, was Blame the gays! Scary lesbians are taking over Aware! They're promoting sapphic depravities to our children in school, and encouraging them to explore their bodies!

However, we should not be passive where we can band together to work for positive change. There are many things worth protecting and fighting for.

Given your ferocity during the press conference as well as how much time you devoted to the evil lesbionic issue, we know what you are fighting for, Josie =D

We want to make a positive difference to your lives and to our society. A good place to start is to help the many distressed women affected by the current economic crisis.

Whatever happened to Project Wind Beneath My Wings, Josie? Did someone tell you it was out of step with the concerns of actually-existing women affected by the actually-existing economic crisis? That it sounded at best, a vanity project for FM and her G9? Why aren't you selling the virtues of Wind Beneath My Wings now?

We are dedicated towards continuing our role as an NGO to ensure the effective implementation of CEDAW standards. We want to see abstract standards translated into meaningful policies which directly affect our lives and well-being. We will constructively engage with all interested governmental and non-governmental agencies, to progressively bring this goal to pass.

Still no idea why Braema was summarily dismissed as CEDAW subcommittee head without reason. Given that FM's G9 had taken over AWARE for less than a week before the termination, and that you've never had any discussion or even meeting with Braema before terminating her, one has to wonder about your competence as a group.

I hope to see you at the upcoming EGM where we will present preliminary details of our programme and projects.

Wow. Just wow. Saying this now just begs the question: how exactly did you and your friends get elected/appointed to an exco without presenting any preliminary details of your agenda and projects? Why wait more than 20 days AFTER your election before anyone knows what your agenda and projects for Aware are? Why shouldn't we know this DURING your election?

AWARE belongs to you.

You, your fellow churchmates from COOS, and Feminist Mentor's network of concerned parents!