Exco opens up, but old guard still want EGM

Today Online - Friday, April 17, 2009

Zul Othman

zul@mediacorp.com.sg

 

A STATEMENT on Wednesday outlining the new-guard leadership’s plans, followed yesterday by detailed CVs of the 11 members —mostly unknown faces — may have gone a tiny way towards mending the rift with older members of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).

Long-time member Corrine Lim called the statement “a step in the right direction”, after two-and-a-half weeks of silence from the executive committee. Still, Aware veterans remain sceptical until a date for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) is set.

“They said they would honour the values and work Aware has done, but so far, their actions don’t really match the statement issued,” Ms Lim said. There remain “a lot of question marks among members”.

Founding member Margaret Thomas said a meeting would give the new leaders a chance “to be transparent” and “convince us (the old guard) that there is no hidden agenda” behind the leadership change.

The new exco, which came to power in a surprise election result on March 28, on Wednesday night appointed a new president. Yesterday, biodata of the exco members were released to the media — including, for the first time, the nine new faces who come from diverse professional backgrounds in the business, banking, finance, legal, education, human resource and social service sectors.

But the exco could yet face a no-confidence motion at the EGM that 150 members like Ms Lim are calling for.

As of press time, the exco had not replied to Today’s queries about whether an EGM would be held, how it might go about reconciliation efforts, or if it would take Aware in any new directions.

In its statement, however, the new leaders had said they intend to “build on the solid foundations laid by the founders” and would “remember and honour the work of past Aware members”.

In particular, new president Josie Lau said the team would “seek to collaborate and align Aware with other women’s organisations” in outreach to girls and women hit by the recession, such as equipping those retrenched with new skills.

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/314337.asp