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About Saga

March 2009. When 100 strangers arrive at a run-of-the-mill meeting for Singapore gender-equality group AWARE, long-time members sense that something is wrong. Who are the mysterious women wresting control of this respected volunteer organisation? And what disturbing secret unites them?

What happens next becomes the stuff of national legend: starting with an astonishing coup and culminating in an extraordinary declaration of equality and justice. Welcome to the AWARE Saga.

Saga is a limited-series podcast hosted by acclaimed former journalist Bharati Jagdish.

More about Saga

Episodes

Featured Episode

Episode Twelve: The Winners

More than a decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, their lasting impact has rippled outwards in so many ways. But while the results of the fateful 2009 EGM were decisive, is it clear which side truly won? With the emergence of new movements and new slogans, new technologies and new generations, are the ideological fault lines in Singapore society continuing to widen? And if so, how can we heal them?

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

All Episodes:

Episode One:
Strangers
33:27

Episode Two:
The Coup
42:28

Episode Three:
The Letters
39:19

Episode Four:
Old Guard, New Guard
42:44

Episode Five:
Saviour
42:32

Episode Six:
Informants
41:49

Episode Seven:
Showdown
38:40

Episode Eight:
Feminist Mentor
53:48

Episode Nine:
B-Ware
47:52

Episode Ten:
Extraordinary, Part One
55:39

Episode Eleven:
Extraordinary, Part Two
50:09

Episode Twelve:
The Winners
01:02:30

Return

8 March 2009: Singapore’s leading gender-equality group, AWARE, is holding its Annual General Meeting, with the organisation’s members voting to elect a new executive committee. However, when dozens of mysterious new members arrive—tight-lipped women who rebuff the welcoming gestures of AWARE veterans—what should be a run-of-the-mill gathering reveals itself to be anything but.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Chew I-Jin

Constance Singam

Dana Lam

Halijah Mohamad

Schutz Lee

Tan Joo Hymn

New Guard & Associates

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

Further Reading

Constance Singam, iconic AWARE president

Constance "Connie" Singam at AWARE

Constance Singam, front row and third from left, at the AWARE Centre in the mid-’90s

Return

The newcomers running for election at AWARE unsettle older members with their strangely hollow speeches. Who could have predicted this 24 years prior, when the organisation was founded? AWARE’s iconic early leaders made their names campaigning against sexist laws and societal norms. Yet in 2009, activity is slow, with many members burnt out and distracted. Unfortunately, what seemed like a rejuvenating injection of new blood is looking more and more like a coup.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Chew I-Jin

Constance Singam

Dana Lam

Halijah Mohamad

Kanwaljit Soin

Lena Lim

Lillian Wong

Margaret Thomas

Tan Joo Hymn

Tanneke Zeeuw

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

Charlotte Lim

Claire Nazar

Jenica Chua

Maureen Ong

Sally Ang

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

Further Reading

The History of AWARE

AWARE Launch in 1985

Footage from the official launch event for AWARE in 1985. Speakers included Lena Lim, Hedwig Anuar, Lai Ah Eng, Vivienne Wee, Zaibun Siraj and Chua Siew Keng.

25 Years of AWARE Helpline

AWARE launched its Women's Helpline in 1991. Twenty-five years later, it produced this anniversary video.

Becoming AWARE: 35 years of women's activism

For AWARE's 35th birthday in 2020, Kontinentalist put together this overview of the organisation's major milestones.

1980s Singapore: The Graduate Mothers Scheme and Great Marriage Debate

Lee Kuan Yew’s National Day Rally speech, 1983

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew debuted what became known as the Graduate Mothers Scheme at this televised National Day Rally speech in 1983.

"Her Rights are Wrong"

The Malay Mail, 19 April 1994 - A decade after he introduced the Graduate Mothers Scheme, Lee Kuan Yew expressed again that women's independence was hurting Singapore's fertility rate.

Return

As AWARE’s exco election comes to a disquieting end, an impromptu Google search on the names of new members gives veteran member Joo Hymn chills. The results provide an important clue about a controversial ideology that many of the newcomers seem to share—an ideology that reared its head in national discourse only a few years prior, during a pivotal battle for LGBT rights.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Caris Lim

Chew I-Jin

Constance Singam

Dana Lam

Halijah Mohamad

Lena Lim

Lillian Wong

Schutz Lee

Tan Joo Hymn

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

Angela Thiang

Catherine Tan

Charlotte Lim

Claire Nazar

Irene Yee

Jenica Chua

Josie Lau

Lois Ng

Others

Alan Seah

Siew Kum Hong

Thio Li Ann

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

Further Reading

2007: Sir Ian McKellen in Singapore

Sir Ian McKellen on Channel NewsAsia

Sir Ian appeared on this morning talkshow, cheekily asking the hosts to recommend a gay bar in Singapore.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Later in 2007, Sir Ian told Craig Ferguson about the above incident on the Channel NewsAsia show.

Ian McKellen supports IndigNation 2007

While in Singapore, Sir Ian also filmed this brief statement of support for LGBT pride event IndigNation and the repeal of Section 377A.

2007: The Debate Over Section 377A

YouTube playlist: Section 377A in Parliament

Speeches from various parliamentarians about Section 377A.

Siew Kum Hong: “The great tragedy of Section 377A”

NMP Siew Kum Hong's reflections on his experience arguing for the repeal of Section 377A.

NMP Thio Li-Ann: "377A serves public morality"

NMP Thio Li-ann's speech in favour of retaining Section 377A, published in The Online Citizen on 23 October 2007.

“Full parliamentary speech by PM Lee Hsien Loong in 2007 on Section 377A”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's concluding remarks on Section 377A, published in The Straits Times on 24 October 2007

Channel NewsAsia: Penal Code Review

A CNA news segment on the various duelling petitions to repeal and retain Section 377A.

Repeal 377A Singapore!

A celebrity-filled video in favour of repealing Section 377A.

Return

Who are the women on AWARE’s new executive committee? Is its new president—Connie’s own chosen heir—part of a deeper conspiracy to take over the association? In the aftermath of the Annual General Meeting, long-time AWARE members—the “Old Guard”—struggle to make sense of what happened. And as the media begin to dig into the story, the Old Guard face a momentous decision that will seriously test their resolve.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Braema Mathi

Caris Lim

Chew I-Jin

Constance Singam

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Halijah Mohamad

Kanwaljit Soin

Lena Lim

Lillian Wong

Margaret Thomas

Schutz Lee

Siew Kum Hong

Tan Joo Hymn

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

Angela Thiang

Catherine Tan

Charlotte Lim

Claire Nazar

Jenica Chua

Lois Ng

Maureen Ong

Sally Ang

Others

Alan John

Wong Kim Hoh

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new exco attend the same church—one known for its conservative views?

Further Reading

Press Coverage of the AWARE Saga

Unknowns knock out veterans at AWARE polls

10 April 2009 - Wong Kim Hoh's article breaking the AWARE takeover. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

Claire Nazar: Why I quit as AWARE president

19 April 2009 - Serene Goh's interview with Claire Nazar after Claire stepped down as president. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

Some attend the same church

19 April 2009 - Tan Dawn Wei's and Jamie Ee's report on the New Guard's connection to Church of Our Saviour. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

Ladies, Have You Forgotten Your Narrative?

13 April 2009 - P N Balji's commentary on the AWARE takeover in the newspaper TODAY

The Old Guard's Requisition Effort

Dana Lam's notes on the various recourse options discussed by the Old Guard in meetings following the 2009 AGM.

Return

Word gets out that most of AWARE’s new exco attend the same church—one known for its conservative views on sexuality and gender. But what does that have to do with AWARE? Perhaps some answers are to be found in the history of Christianity in Singapore… and how the religion has existed, both peacefully and contentiously, within the multi-cultural state. This episode was guest-written by Balli Kaur Jaswal.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Constance Singam

Corinna Lim

Margaret Thomas

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

Angela Thiang

Jenica Chua

Others

Callan Tham

Derek Hong

Gwee Li Sui

Tong Yee

Gillian Koh

Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib

Terence Chong

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

Further Reading

Church of Our Saviour

Sermon by Pastor Derek Hong, 26 April 2009

This footage was "leaked" by a Church of Our Saviour attendee at the height of the Saga.

“Be a Man”, Pastor Daniel Wee, 5 June 2018

This sermon was delivered by current Church of Our Saviour Pastor Daniel Wee in 2018.

Choices Ministry

Information on Choices Ministry, founded at Church of Our Saviour in 1991 by well-known "ex-gay" American pastor Sy Rogers.

LoveSingapore's website

Church coalition LoveSingapore was founded in 1995, and counts COOS as a member.

Anti-Gay Efforts by Conservative Christians in the 2000s

"Homosexuality - What can we do", 13 July 2003

Reverend Yang Tuck Yoong of Cornerstone Church wrote this letter for the LoveSingapore Committee, outlining a plan of action against homosexuality in Singapore.

The Crusade Against Homosexuality: The 'Conservative Majority' in Singapore

In May 2009, Miak Siew wrote this analysis of anti-gay letters submitted to newspaper Forum sections in 2007.

Terence Chong's book

The AWARE Saga: Civil Society and Public Morality in Singapore

A 2011 collection of essays on the AWARE Saga, edited by Terence Chong

Steeplejacking

Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right is Hijacking Mainstream Religion

The 2007 book by Sheldon Culver and John Dorhauer that birthed the term "steeplejacking" for the ideological hijacking of churches

Return

Cracks start to show in the New Guard’s relationships with the staff at the AWARE Centre. Between the exco’s obvious unfamiliarity with the organisation, actions that compromise the well-being of clients, and strange fascination with certain programmes, tensions rise quickly. Meanwhile, the Old Guard rally the troops for a requisition. Will they find enough allies to see it through?

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Braema Mathi

Caris Lim

Chew I-Jin

Corinna Lim

Halijah Mohamad

Kerry Wilcock

Lena Lim

Lillian Wong

Schutz Lee

Tan Joo Hymn

New Guard & Associates

Catherine Tan

Charlotte Lim

Claire Nazar

Irene Yee

Jenica Chua

Josie Lau

Lois Ng

Maureen Ong

Peggy Leong

Sally Ang

Others

Alexandra Serrenti

Benson Ang

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

Further Reading

Requisition

Requisition for Extraordinary General Meeting

The Old Guard’s requisition petition form, circulated to members and ultimately submitted to the new exco on 14 April 2009

Josie Lau Becomes President

DBS Exec is AWARE’s New Head

"16 April 2009 - by Tan Dawn Wei, Wong Kim Hoh and Yen Feng. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

AWARE and CEDAW

Shadow reports submitted by AWARE to CEDAW over the years.

Return

AWARE’s new president, Josie, launches a publicity campaign to defend the New Guard against mounting criticism, boycotts and even threats, from a public hungry for answers about the group’s intentions. Will her PR attempts work? Then, things come to a head at the AWARE Centre with a dramatic face-off between both sides.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Braema Mathi

Chew I-Jin

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Kerry Wilcock

Margaret Thomas

Robin Rheaume

Schutz Lee

Tan Joo Hymn

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

Charlotte Lim

Claire Nazar

Jenica Chua

Josie Lau

Lois Ng

Maureen Ong

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

Further Reading

Josie Lau

AWARE's Power Couple

Profiles of Alan Chin and Josie Lau - “Quiet, Devoted to Religious Activities” and “Sociable, Chatty and a Lover of Good Food” - ran on 18 April 2009. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

We're ready for the task, but why are so many angry at us?

This letter by Josie Lau ran on 18 April 2009. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

Talking Point - Part 1

The New Guard's Josie Lau and Maureen Ong appeared on the 19 April 2009 episode of Talking Point, a Channel NewsAsia show hosted by Debra Soon and P N Balji

Talking Point - Part 2

The New Guard's Josie Lau and Maureen Ong appeared on the 19 April 2009 episode of Talking Point, a Channel NewsAsia show hosted by Debra Soon and P N Balji

AWARE - And Why You Should Cancel Your DBS Credit Cards

A 25 April 2009 post on popular local blog Mr Wang Says So calls for the public to boycott DBS, Josie's employer

Operation Leper

Operation Leper

Blogger Akikonomu launched a plan to boycott the New Guard members' workplaces with this 18 April 2009 post

Operation Leper: Lois Ng & Studio You

Akikonomu's plan continued, targeting Lois Ng's social entreprise on 20 April 2009

The Showdown

Channel NewsAsia: Showdown at AWARE Office

A CNA news segment that aired on 23 April 2009, covering the dramatic events at the AWARE Centre that evening

Return

Surprise! At an astounding press conference, the New Guard reveal their true leader: the woman who conceived of and organised the AWARE takeover. Together with this mentor, the group finally explain the series of events that put AWARE on their radar—the supposedly scandalous practices of the organisation’s former leadership which, they say, must be stopped at all costs.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Chew I-Jin

Constance Singam

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Deeksha Vasundhra

Margaret Thomas

Tenley Peterson

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

Jenica Chua

Josie Lau

Lois Ng

Maureen Ong

Thio Li Ann

Thio Su Mien

Others

Jack Yong

Terence Chong

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

Further Reading

The New Guard's Press Conference

YouTube Playlist: The Full New Guard Press Conference

Compiled videos of the New Guard's press conference on 23 April 2009

Channel NewsAsia: Dramatic Scenes Unfold

A CNA news segment that aired on 23 April 2009 about the New Guard's press conference

"ON AWARE’S CHANGING SLANT TOWARDS HOMOSEXUALITY AND COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL EDUCATION IN RECENT YEARS"

The New Guard posted these slides on AWARE’s website, detailing everything they found objectionable about AWARE's recent activities

Thio Su Mien

Adventures in the Lord

A 2014 memoir by Thio Su Mien, detailing her Christian beliefs and interests in prophetic intercession

AWARE's Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programme

"Guided or Misguided?"

This 1 May 2009 TODAY article by Alicia Wong and Lin Yanqin examines the "controversial" sections of AWARE's CSE syllabus

Return

Both sides ready themselves for battle with AWARE’s Extraordinary General Meeting in sight. Harnessing a huge team of volunteers, the Old Guard prepare to give their all, though the emotional toll of the saga is catching up to them. At the 11th hour, they face a logistical twist from the New Guard. Will a ballsy stratagem be enough to save them? Or will the Singapore government prove an unlikely ally?

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Chew I-Jin

Constance Singam

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Deeksha Vasundhra

Halijah Mohamad

Kanwaljit Soin

Margaret Thomas

Mark Goh

Robin Rheaume

Siew Kum Hong

Tan Joo Hymn

Tan Wah Kiat

Yap Ching Wi

New Guard & Associates

Charlotte Lim

Derek Hong

Thio Su Mien

Others

Alexandra Serrenti

Gwee Li Sui

Gillian Koh

Irene Ang

John Chew

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Ten: Showdown

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

Further Reading

The Old Guard Press Conference

YouTube Playlist: The Full Old Guard Press Conference

Compiled videos of the Old Guard's press conference on 24 April 2009

Why Neutral Stance on Homosexuals

"Old Guard Responds" - a summary of the Old Guard's rebuttal to the New Guard's accusations, 25 April 2009. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

Irene Ang's Video

One Cause for All Women

Irene Ang corralled her Fly Entertainment talent to produce this campaign video for the Old Guard

Gwee Li Sui's Note

CHRISTIANS AGAINST AWARE TAKEOVER!

A viral Facebook note by Gwee Li Sui, appealing for Christians to oppose the New Guard

National Council of Churches

AWARE, 30 April 2009

Two days before the EGM, NCCS released this public statement condemning churches from "getting involved in this matter"

Comments from the Government

Channel NewsAsia: Government Will Not Interfere

In this CNA news segment, Ministers Vivian Balakrishnan and K Shanmugam offer a few remarks on the AWARE Saga

Return

The day of reckoning arrives: the Extraordinary General Meeting to determine the fate of AWARE. With more than 3,000 attendees in the Suntec City Exhibition Hall, the energy and excitement are off the charts. After the New Guard make their case for the last time, the vote of no confidence in the current exco takes place. Which side will prevail?

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Braema Mathi

Constance Singam

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Halijah Mohamad

Lena Lim

Margaret Thomas

Mark Goh

Robin Rheaume

Siew Kum Hong

Tan Joo Hymn

Yap Ching Wi

Zaibun Siraj

New Guard & Associates

Charlotte Lim

Gregory Vijayendran

Jenica Chua

Josie Lau

Lois Ng

Maureen Ong

Sally Ang

Thio Su Mien

Others

Alexandra Serrenti

Callan Tham

Irene Ang

Pam Oei

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

Further Reading

Page 73

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

This book about AWARE's history, edited by Mandakini Arora and published in 2007, contains a small mention of Thio Su Mien's accomplishments on page 73

Extraordinary General Meeting

EGM Photo Album

Photographs by Ching, a volunteer engaged by the Old Guard

Return

A young woman who believes in the right to choose. A sitcom actress risking her public persona for the sake of her principles. A former police officer who wishes his daughters could be there, too. Midway through the AWARE EGM, members new and old stand up and speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and more. Together, they make one of the most powerful assertions of Singaporean democracy in recent memory.

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Braema Mathi

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Margaret Thomas

Robin Rheaume

Siew Kum Hong

Tan Joo Hymn

Yap Ching Wi

Zaibun Siraj

New Guard & Associates

Josie Lau

Others

Farid Hamid

Irene Ang

Irene Hoe

Karen Teoh

Meera Jane Navaratnam

Pam Oei

Teo You Yenn

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Next Episode

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

Further Reading

Extraordinary General Meeting

EGM Photo Album

Photographs by Ching, a volunteer engaged by the Old Guard

"Whatever You Can Think Of, They Did"

Benson Ang on the many, many volunteers who made the AWARE EGM possible, published 4 May 2009. Source: The New Paper, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

The New Guard's Post-EGM Press Conference - Part One

After the EGM, the New Guard gave one last press conference as a group.

The New Guard's Post-EGM Press Conference - Part Two

After the EGM, the New Guard gave one last press conference as a group.

Channel NewsAsia: Extraordinary General Meeting

A CNA news segment summarising the AWARE EGM.

Return

More than a decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, their lasting impact has rippled outwards in so many ways. But while the results of the fateful 2009 EGM were decisive, is it clear which side truly won? With the emergence of new movements and new slogans, new technologies and new generations, are the ideological fault lines in Singapore society continuing to widen? And if so, how can we heal them?

Episode photograph courtesy of Wayne (@nexa_s) and Pink Dot SG

Please note: This podcast touches upon some complex topics. The creators have endeavoured to reach all key players for their comments, and present a balanced and factual account. We ask that each episode be taken in its full context by listeners.

Characters in this Episode

Old Guard & Associates

Constance Singam

Corinna Lim

Dana Lam

Kanwaljit Soin

Margaret Thomas

Robin Rheaume

Tan Joo Hymn

New Guard & Associates

Charlotte Lim

Josie Lau

Thio Su Mien

Others

Alexandra Serrenti

Alan Seah

Callan Tham

Ching

Gillian Koh

Pam Oei

Teo You Yenn

Tommy Koh

Tong Yee

Explore the key moments of the AWARE Saga with our interactive timeline.

Further Reading

The Prime Minister Speaks

Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech, 2009

On 16 August 2009, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong talked about the AWARE Saga in this national address.

The Thio Family

Thio Su Mien Reflects on the Saga

On 17 May 2009, Thio Su Mien granted one post-EGM interview to Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao. Source: Lianhe Zaobao, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

“BETWEEN EDEN AND ARMAGEDDON: NAVIGATING 'RELIGION' AND 'POLITICS' IN SINGAPORE”

Thio Li-ann wrote this paper reflecting on the Saga in December 2009, published in Singapore Journal of Legal Studies

Comprehensive Sexuality Education

AWARE’S COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION (CSE) PROGRAMME: Report of the Review Team

In August 2010, a review committee at AWARE published the findings of an internal investigation into its 2008-2009 CSE syllabus.

The Role of the Media

"Why We Covered Aware Saga the Way We Did"

Following accusations of bias in its reporting on the Saga, The Straits Times Editor Han Fook Kwang defended his paper's process in this commentary, 30 May 2009. Source: The Straits Times, © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission

LGBTQ Rights in Singapore Today

Pink Dot is at the forefront of the gay pride movement in Singapore, and has celebrated 12 editions to date

True Love Is, a ministry of 3:16 Church, has been called "conversation therapy" by its critics.

AWARE's position on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression

Some years after the Saga, AWARE published this official position on LGBTQ issues in Singapore.

Additional Interview Transcripts

Conversation with Tong Yee

The full transcript of the conversation between Corinna Lim and Tong Yee on the AWARE Saga, recorded in 2020.

Conversation with Alex Au

Though we were unable to include him in Saga, here is a condensed transcript of the conversation between Kelly Leow, Jasmine Ng and Alex Au on the AWARE Saga, recorded in 2019.

Bonus Clips

Music video

“Saga Theme” by .gif

Saga’s theme music was composed and performed by weish and din of the Singaporean band .gif. In October 2020, we filmed this intimate performance.

Feminism 101

“Saga Bonus Clip: The complicated history of feminism at AWARE

Over the years at AWARE, heated debates have taken place over the word “feminism”. Although many members of the organisation embrace the term, others have shied away from it, worried about its negative associations. AWARE members and ex-presidents Constance Singam, Zaibun Siraj, Lai Ah Eng, Teo You Yenn and Yap Ching Wi explain.

AWARE Saga Timeline

If you'd like to avoid spoilers, read only the events that are covered in episodes you have listened to.

Mar

07

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 1

AWARE President Constance Singam’s op-ed, “Time to Tackle the Soft Work”, runs in national newspaper The Straits Times. In it, she calls for more women to engage in civil society.

Weeks leading up to

Mar

28

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 1

Dozens of membership applications are mailed into the AWARE Centre. The membership increases from around 250 to well above 300. Centre manager Schutz Lee and the staff notice some abnormalities regarding these applications, but don’t think much of it.

Mar

28

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 1, 2

AWARE holds its 24th Annual General Meeting. The AGM is chaired by President Constance Singam (assisted by Claire Nazar), and attended by long-time members such as Dana Lam, Halijah Mohamad, Lena Lim, Chew I-Jin, Lillian Wong, Schutz Lee and Tan Joo Hymn. It is also attended by a large group of new members who do not interact much with older members.

Mar

28

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 3

Of this new group, nine of them successfully stand for election onto AWARE’s executive committee. After the election, the new exco is:
President: Claire Nazar
Vice President: Charlotte Lim
Honorary Secretary: Jenica Chua
Asst. Honorary Secretary: Sally Ang
Honorary Treasurer: Maureen Ong
Asst. Honorary Treasurer: Chew I-Jin
Ordinary members: Caris Lim, Catherine Tan, Irene Yee, Josie Lau, Lois Ng, Peggy Leong.
Immediate Past President: Constance Singam

The election goes on so long that the AGM runs over, and is adjourned. All other agenda items are put aside, possibly to be tabled at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting. During the meeting, Joo Hymn and other members begin to suspect that the newcomers have not been forthcoming about their motives. Afterwards, a group including Constance, Joo Hymn, Schutz and Claire go out for a drink and speculate on the newcomers’ identities.

Mar

29

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4

AWARE members present at the AGM, including Constance and Dana, make calls to other long-time members, such as Margaret Thomas, Kanwaljit Soin, Corinna Lim and Braema Mathi, to notify them about the election outcome.

Mar

30

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4

Dana, Joo Hymn and a few others meet at Constance’s house to discuss possible actions, such as founding a new organisation, or requisitioning AWARE by calling for a vote of no confidence in the exco. They also talk about whether new president Claire Nazar is to be trusted.

AWARE Saga Timeline

If you'd like to avoid spoilers, read only the events that are covered in episodes you have listened to.

Apr

01

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4

Constance, Dana, Joo Hymn and others hold a larger meeting at Lena Lim’s house. Besides the veteran AWARE members, this meeting includes lawyer and Nominated Member of Parliament Siew Kum Hong, who advises the group to requisition AWARE. This will require at least 10% of the AWARE membership to call for an Extraordinary General Meeting.

Apr

06

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 6

AWARE holds “New Members’ Night”, an orientation session for new members. At this session, the new exco members reveal their own ignorance about the organisation. They also ask detailed questions about AWARE’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme, which baffles onlookers such as Chew I-Jin and staffer Kerry Wilcock.

Constance runs into Alan John, deputy editor of The Straits Times. He teases out her account of the AGM, and assigns reporter Wong Kim Hoh to the story. However, while Connie and company are willing to be interviewed, the new exco members refuse to speak.

Apr

07

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4, 6

AWARE’s new executive committee has its first official meeting. Topics of discussion include whether chairpersons of AWARE’s subcommittees should continue into the new term; and whether exco members should enter the areas where AWARE’s Women’s Helpline is run. Constance and I-Jin observe Claire Nazar acting defensively: She asks the New Guard members if there is a “conspiracy”, but they deny it.

Apr

08

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4

Claire Nazar officially resigns as president of AWARE. In a later Straits Times interview, she cites the new exco’s “Stormtrooper tactics” as her reason for quitting.

Apr

10

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4

The Straits Times publishes “Unknowns Knock Out Veterans at AWARE Polls” by Wong Kim Hoh, the first mainstream news article on the AWARE takeover. It kicks off an intense two months of almost-daily coverage. The article also refers to the veterans as the “Old Guard”, a name that stuck and spawned the opposite, “New Guard”, for the newcomers.

Apr

11 - 13

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 6

The Old Guard canvasses across Singapore over this Easter weekend, eventually obtaining their goal of 160 signatures in support of the requisition

Braema Mathi, chair of AWARE’s Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) subcommittee, is warned in an email from Claire Nazar that AWARE’s new exco wants to replace her with Sally Ang.

Apr

14

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 6, 7

Corinna Lim submits the requisition documents to the New Guard at the AWARE Centre.

Schutz Lee receives an envelope containing white powder, addressed to the New Guard, at the AWARE Centre. Though the powder is revealed to be talcum, this coincides with other threatening messages received by the New Guard since news of the takeover went public.

Apr

15

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 6, 7

AWARE’s exco holds its second official meeting. With the press waiting outside, the exco makes some major decisions, including the appointment of Josie Lau as president to replace Claire Nazar. The exco also decides to dissolve all existing subcommittees.

DBS Bank, Josie’s employer, releases a statement criticising her decision to take the AWARE presidency, which it claims to not have approved.

Old Guard members Corinna, Dana and Margie meet and decide how to delegate their EGM efforts: with teams dedicated to logistics and volunteer management, and legal strategy and advocacy.

Apr

16

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 6

Braema Mathi receives official notice, via an email from Sally Ang, that her term as chair of the CEDAW subcommittee is over.

Apr

17

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 4

The Straits Times publishes the article “Some attend the same church”. It reveals that AWARE exco members Charlotte Lim, Irene Yee, Jenica Chua, Maureen Ong, Sally Ang and Josie Lau, as well as Josie’s husband Alan Chin, all attend the Anglican Church Of Our Saviour.

The Old Guard hear from AWARE Centre staff that the EGM is set to take place on 2 May at HSR Building, Toa Payoh.

Apr

18

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 7

The Straits Times publishes a letter by Josie Lau entitled “We’re ready for the task, but why are some so angry at us?”

Constance Singam officially resigns as Immediate Past President and advisor to AWARE’s new exco.

The Old Guard holds its first briefing for the volunteers who have been steadily signing up to help with the requisition. Over the next weeks, strategy meetings will be held almost every night.

Apr

19

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 7

Josie Lau and Maureen Ong appear as guests on the Channel NewsAsia talk show Talking Point. They reiterate that there was no conspiracy to take over AWARE.

Apr

21

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 7

The Old Guard launches the website we.are.aware.org.sg, a platform to rally support and update volunteers for the EGM.

Apr

23

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 7, 8

At Raffles Town Club, four New Guard members (Josie, Jenica, Maureen and Lois) and prominent lawyer Thio Su Mien hold a press conference. Thio identifies herself as the “feminist mentor” who put the takeover of AWARE into motion, after observing that AWARE had become increasingly supportive of LGBT rights. She believes that gay activists have taken control of AWARE and are using the organisation as a front for their mission to spread homosexuality via sex education and other programmes.

At the AWARE Centre, Schutz Lee is fired by Charlotte Lim from her position as centre manager. Under the direction of the New Guard, the locks are changed at the centre. In distress, Schutz calls Margie, Corinna, Dana and others, who arrive and have a confrontation with the New Guard.

Apr

24

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 7

The Straits Times publishes a letter by Josie Lau entitled “AWARE Chief: Sub-Comm Head was Not Sacked”. In it, Josie clarifies about Braema Mathi and CEDAW: “Ms Mathi was not sacked… Her appointment simply expired.”

Apr

24

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 9

The Old Guard holds a press conference at the premises of Kanwaljit Soin’s organisation WINGS. Margie, Constance, Deeksha Vasundhra and others debunk Thio’s theories of a secret gay “agenda” at AWARE.

Apr

26

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 9

Church of Our Saviour Pastor Derek Hong says in a sermon that homosexuality goes against Biblical teachings and erodes family values. He also calls upon congregants to support the New Guard at the EGM. Video of this sermon is leaked to the press. This garners Hong the attention of the Internal Security Department.

Apr

27

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 9

The New Guard changes the EGM venue from the HSR Building to Singapore Expo. Noticing that church coalition LoveSingapore is holding a huge conference at the Expo on the same day, Old Guard lawyer Mark Goh files a police report, warning of a potential religious conflict.

Apr

29

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 9

The Singapore Police Force officially bans AWARE’s EGM from being held at the Expo.

The Straits Times runs a letter by the Ministry of Education entitled “No complaints from parents, Dr Thio - MOE”. The Ministry reports that it has not received any negative feedback about the AWARE Comprehensive Sexuality Education programmes.

Apr

30

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 9

The new EGM venue is announced: Hall 402 of Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

National Council of Churches of Singapore issues a statement condemning Pastor Derek Hong’s use of the pulpit to rally support for the New Guard. Other religious leaders in Singapore echo this sentiment.

Chew I-Jin and Caris Lim both officially resign from AWARE’s exco. Ordinary exco member Catherine Tan also resigns.

AWARE Saga Timeline

If you'd like to avoid spoilers, read only the events that are covered in episodes you have listened to.

May

01

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 9

Pastor Derek Hong issues an official apology for his 26 April sermon.

Dana Lam sends out an email to the Old Guard leadership detailing the planned new exco line-up, if they are able to successfully requisition AWARE. She will be the new president.

May

02

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 10, 11

AWARE’s Extraordinary General Meeting takes place at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 3,000 AWARE members attend: around 2,200 ordinary members (Singaporean/PR women) and around 1,000 associate members (men and foreigners). Actresses Pam Oei and Irene Ang are present, as well as volunteers Alexandra Serrenti, Teo You Yenn and Ching S.

Members of the public take the floor to express their opinions on the AWARE Saga as well as broader questions of democracy, LGBT rights, feminism and religion. Speakers include Meera Jane Navaratnam, Farid Hamid, Karen Teoh and Irene Hoe.

The meeting runs for over eight hours. Eventually, the Old Guard wins the vote of no confidence 2:1 and the New Guard steps down from AWARE’s exco. A new exco is announced, led by President Dana Lam.

May

05

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

Newspaper TODAY reports that government feedback portal REACH has received around 50 complaints about the AWARE Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the past week. The Ministry of Education announces that it will investigate AWARE’s programme.

May

06

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

The Ministy of Education announces that AWARE’s sex education programme, and that of all other external vendors engaged by MOE schools, are suspended. This frustrates the Old Guard and progressive parents; on the other hand, New Guard members express relief and triumph.

May

14

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

In an interview with The Straits Times, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng warns LGBT activists to not be “strident” in demanding rights, while emphasising that religion should be kept out of secular matters. Wong describes media coverage of the AWARE Saga as “breathless”.

May

16

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

The first Pink Dot event takes place at Hong Lim Park. More than 2,000 people show up, surprising the organisers, who include Alan Seah, Ching and Roy Tan.

May

17

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao publishes an interview with Thio Su Mien, titled “‘Power grab’ was accidental”. Thio says that if she had really wanted to take over AWARE, she would have put together a “rainbow coalition” instead of a group that mostly attended the same church.

May

21

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

The Ministry of Education announces a new policy mandating that all sexuality education programmes have to be approved by the Ministry. MOE says that AWARE is no longer allowed to run sexuality education programmes in schools until it has regained the public’s trust. Until today, this effective ban on AWARE has never been lifted.

May

26

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

In a speech in Parliament, Thio’s daughter, Thio Li Ann, describes the media coverage of the AWARE Saga as biased. Member of Parliament Sin Boon Ann also questions if the press was motivated on some level by bias against Christianity.

May

30

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

The Straits Times Editor Han Fook Kwang publishes an op-ed titled “How ST covered the story” refuting criticism of his paper’s coverage of the AWARE Saga.

AWARE Saga Timeline

If you'd like to avoid spoilers, read only the events that are covered in episodes you have listened to.

Jun

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

Led by Dana, the new exco at AWARE discovers that the data of personnel who worked on the Comprehensive Sexuality Programme was posted online during the Saga. They file a police report.

The exco also commissions an internal review of the CSE programme. The review finds that, while sound, the content of the syllabus might have been worded with more nuance.

Aug

16

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentions the AWARE Saga during his National Day Rally speech.

Oct

21

2009

Mentioned in: Ep 12

AWARE implements Constitutional changes, including a new management structure from a 12-member exco to a seven-member board and executive director (Corinna Lim). It introduces new criteria for election to the Board, new criteria for membership and a disciplinary procedure for members who have acted against AWARE’s interests.

Episode One: Strangers

More about Saga

A Message from the Creators of Saga

The celebration of AWARE’s 35th birthday in 2020 called for a reflection on its transformation from modest volunteer group to flourishing NGO and civil society leader in Singapore. In pinpointing the moment that marked the close of the former and the beginning of the latter, there was never any doubt: It was the AWARE Saga. That existential threat (of AWARE being taken over by a group of religious conservatives) pushed its leaders to renew their commitment to feminist advocacy, and strengthen the organisation’s capacity and infrastructure.

We wanted to document the complete history of the Saga for a few reasons. For one, because the lived experience of it was so much richer than what most people saw in the news. And it is important for AWARE to contextualise its ongoing fight for gender equality, to remind itself why the fight matters.

But beyond AWARE, the story of the Saga is important for Singapore—whose citizens pledge tolerance, diversity and democracy in the abstract, but rarely get a chance to test those principles on a national stage. This narrative deals with subject matter that is traditionally considered sensitive in the Singapore context, such as religion and LGBTQ rights. We know that these topics will likely elicit strong feelings in listeners, and have endeavoured to deal with them honestly and with the sensitivity that they deserve. We also believe that our society is sufficiently mature to engage in respectful conversations on these subjects. There are profound lessons to be learnt from the AWARE Saga, about how to disagree constructively and bridge entrenched divides. We hope that new generations carry these lessons forward in the perennial quest to live together in harmony and dignity.

Over the course of this project, we interviewed 50 people. Some of them were experts who provided nuanced, dispassionate insights on the broader socio-political context underlying the events. But most of them were people who had directly participated in the Saga. Living through the Saga was as traumatic as it was invigorating—these interviewees made that clear to us. But while others would have chosen to sweep their trauma under a rug, they recognised the value in putting their experiences on the record. With Bharati Jagdish at the mic, asking unsparingly tough questions, interviewees revisited their triumphs and their mistakes. They relived extremes of emotion: blinding fury, soaring relief, the bitterness of betrayal. We thank them for their honesty and trust.

There are, of course, perspectives that are missing from the assembly of voices—people who declined our invitations to participate. While we regret that we could not interview them, wherever possible we have tried to feature their own words: recordings of meetings, interviews, press conferences, letters, emails and so on. We hope that, in doing so, we have made reasonable effort to present their point of view accurately.

To end: What a privilege it has been to memorialise this remarkable event—and in a medium as intimate and alive as a podcast. May the Saga inspire you as much as it inspires us.

About our Host

Bharati Jagdish is an award-winning journalist and mass communications specialist. Over her almost 20-year media career, she was a radio news anchor and reporter with Mediacorp’s 938LIVE (now CNA938), a TV talk show host with Channel 5, and a digital news journalist and opinion writer with Channel NewsAsia’s online platform. Today, as a communications professional in the private sector, Bharati helps both corporations and NGOs in areas such as spokesperson media training, crisis communications, thought leadership and online brand and content marketing.

Bharati sees Saga as a transformative passion project. Working on the podcast, she has returned to her roots as a voice professional, while revisiting an event that shook Singapore to its core and examining themes that remain relevant today.

Show Credits

Host

Bharati Jagdish

Writers and producers

Jasmine Ng and Kelly Leow

Audio post production

Mocha Chai Laboratories

Sound design

Chong Xinying and Amelia Sai

Associate producer

Nur Aina Sapari

Story consultant

Balli Kaur Jaswal

Original score

Weish and Din of the band [.gif]

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions, Saudade, Chad Crouch and Ketsa on Free Music Archive under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License

Marketing strategy

Kelly Leow, Jasmine Ng and Gwend Lim

Artwork

John Albrecht

We received editorial assistance from Kaspen Paraskasis Narayan, Lim Ziqian, Megan Tan and a tireless group of interns.

Thank you also to Splice Studios, Neon Sound, Lee Wong and everyone else who has contributed to the podcast in ways big and small.

About AWARE

Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) is Singapore’s leading women’s rights and gender-equality advocacy group. Since 1985, AWARE has worked to identify and eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, education, training and support services - including a long-running Women’s Helpline and Singapore’s only dedicated Sexual Assault Care Centre. AWARE's current focus areas include supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, enabling women to better balance work and caregiving, improving single mothers' access to affordable housing, and combatting workplace discrimination and harassment.

In November 2020, AWARE celebrated its 35th birthday with AWAREFest: Love and Rage.

Episode List

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new exco attend the same church—one known for its conservative views?

42:32

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Episode One

Strangers

Bharati Jagdish: Have you ever had a day that changed your life?

A day that you remember in full colour and surround sound, down to the second. A day that you keep in your pocket to take out in your lowest moments. A day that began with you as you were and ended with you as you are, now.

What was that day? Where were you?

For a number of women in Singapore, the day that changed their lives was a Saturday in May. 2009. They woke up that morning with their hearts in their throats. They were heading into battle over something precious—an organisation that they had built over 24 years. Winning would mean saving it. And losing would mean the end of—not just the organisation, but something more. Something intangible... like justice, fairness, hope.

Newscaster: Drama too apparently at the AWARE office…

Margaret Thomas: Who would want to take over AWARE? I mean, why?

Alan John: It started to, to narrow down to this one… religious group.

Josie Lau: We are here to further the cause of women. We are pro-family, pro-women, pro-Singapore.

Terence Chong: They want to see as many souls saved as possible.

Halijah Mohamad: I just thought that she was a spy, and that she was planted in there to become the president.

Newscaster: Supporters of the new exco have accused the Old Guard of straying from women’s issues and promoting homosexuality.

Thio Su Mien: Are we going to have an entire generation of lesbians?

Corinna Lim: it was as if she had seen the devil and I was the devil.

Schutz Lee: I said, you know, I will go to the police. And he actually retorted me, yeah, sure, go to the police.

Siew Kum Hong: if someone comes into your home and invades it, of course you have to fight back.

Constance Singam: Where were you?

Crowd: Where were you? Where were you? Where were you?

Welcome to Saga, a podcast about the events that came to be known as the AWARE saga.

I’m Bharati Jagdish. Over the next 12 episodes, I’m going to tell you one of the strangest, most remarkable stories in Singapore history: how a band of religious conservatives took over the nation’s foremost civil society organisation, and how the women of AWARE galvanised thousands to get it back.

*********************

It was a Saturday afternoon, 28th March 2009. Tan Joo Hymn made her way to Block 5, Dover Crescent, on the Western side of Singapore. It was almost 3pm as she passed the run-down basketball court. Then the modest hawker centre, with uncles chatting over plates of chicken rice.

Tucked at the other end of this sleepy government housing block was the office of the Association of Women for Action and Research, or AWARE for short.

Joo Hymn was on her way to the organisation’s Annual General Meeting, or AGM.

Tan Joo Hymn: I told everybody that I would be late.

But Joo Hymn wasn’t worried about missing much.

By 2009, AWARE’s Annual General Meetings were well, predictable. Some might say boring.

Tan Joo Hymn: When the AGM was due to start, we usually have around 28-29, and then we'll wait for the magical 30th person to walk in and we'll start the AGM.

Once that quorum was reached, a report would be presented to the membership about AWARE’s advocacy work in women’s rights. Then there would be a perfunctory election for the organisation’s next executive committee.

Tan Joo Hymn: Voting was usually also fairly sort of friendly. I think we've had the presidency contested maybe once or twice in the past.

Business as usual. The meeting would be over in a couple of hours. Then Joo Hymn would go home to her young children.

Tan Joo Hymn: I was also kind of like relaxed, like, you know, ROD mode already. Like ah, just election, formality.

However, as she walked down the corridor towards the centre, something felt a little off.

Tan Joo Hymn: The moment I walked into AWARE centre, I had a huge shock.

There were so many people in the centre—many more than the 30 needed for a quorum.

Tan Joo Hymn: That itself was quite a sight. You know? So easily, like, hundred people there.

A huge mass of people, all women except for one man. They had spilled out of the meeting room on one end and into the small lobby. The place was so packed that Joo Hymn could barely step inside.

Tan Joo Hymn: And the second surprising thing was that the moment I stepped in and looked around, I did not recognise the majority of the people there… which is also very unusual.

Joo Hymn was a past president. She knew most AWARE members, or so she thought.

While Joo Hymn was processing this, someone she did know—a long-time AWARE member—caught her eye. This other woman was leaving the meeting early. She said she needed to tell Joo Hymn something, out of earshot of the crowd.

Tan Joo Hymn: She kind of grabbed me, pushed me out of the AWARE centre. And she just sort of looked at me and she said, something is very wrong. There's all these people who are putting themselves up—you know—nominating themselves up for various positions.

Joo Hymn pushed her way further into the centre. The women she did recognise—friends and AWARE colleagues—were at the head of the room. They seemed agitated; everyone was talking at once. In the middle of everything, valiantly presiding over the chaos, stood Constance Singam, the formidable president of AWARE.

Constance Singam: AWARE is very highly respected. AWARE is a very, very strong organisation. AWARE should not fudge its message.

Joo Hymn, Constance and the other AWARE stalwarts—in that moment, none of them had any inkling of what was happening, or who the mysterious new members at the AWARE centre really were.

They couldn’t see what was coming in the next weeks: scandals, subterfuge, death threats. Families divided. Reputations ruined.

Dana Lam: So I went up to this group of new faces and introduced myself.

Dana Lam is a longtime AWARE member and one-time president, and she was at the AGM on 28 March 2009.

Dana is a bubbly person. The kind of person who sees strangers as friends she hasn’t made yet. And here, at the AWARE Centre, was a whole room full of strangers.

Dana Lam: I just kind of say, oh wow, this is so great. You know, and I was trying to tell them the bee hoon on the table was very good, is my favorite bee hoon. And then, no response. I thought maybe they didn't hear me because this is not what I am used to at AWARE. So I repeated my sentence—still no response and then the group moved away to the other end of the table. So I thought this is very, very strange. I have, in all these years I have been in AWARE—by that time it was almost a decade—I have never encountered this kind of response.

As she settled in for the meeting, Dana turned around to look at the room from her seat up front.

Dana Lam: I was so shocked to see it was a sea of no expression faces. Stony, you know. And completely unknown to me and I remember thinking, Whoa, who are these people? And it was rows upon rows of them, right? It was—I wish really—maybe I should make a painting of it because I really have it in my… It's imprinted in there. One of one of Van Gogh's sick face portraits, you know, like repeated row row upon row—green, yellow, red.

What was going on?

Now, AWARE president Constance Singam was calling the meeting to order. And Dana was only here because of how much she loved and respected Constance.

Dana Lam: The only reason I made myself to come was because I was afraid of Connie's—Connie Singam.

OK, she feared her too.

Anyway, Dana thought, whatever was going on, her president would manage it. By then, Constance Singam was carrying AWARE so single-handedly, the two were practically synonymous.

Though, of course, that may have been the problem.

Constance Singam: I became president because nobody wanted to be president [laughs].

BJ: Hmm. Why did you say yes?

Constance Singam: Well, it's also an ego trip. I mean, you have to—I have to admit to it. And I knew I’d work hard at it.

By 2009, 72-year-old Constance, or Connie as she is known, was already being referred to as the mother of Singapore’s civil society. That was her sixth year as president of AWARE—a mantle she had worn more times than anyone else.

Connie was born in Singapore, though she spent the 1940s growing up in a small village in Kerala, India. The family had one son and eight daughters, of which Connie was the eldest. And to her daughters, Connie’s mother always said:

Constance Singam: Be independent, be professionals, never depend on a man. So she made sure we were all educated, that we all earned our own money, that we were financially independent.

Yet as Connie returned to Singapore, and her life fell into place, this progressive, powerful injunction faded away to the back of her mind. Connie became a journalist, but gave up reporting after she got married. Her days were filled with domesticity—cooking, and dreaming of having children. It was a tranquil and happy existence, but still…

Constance Singam: I am a wife in a patriarchal household.

She did not even know how to drive. Her husband forbade her.

Then, one day in 1978, he had a heart attack. At 42, Connie became a widow.

Only then did she realise just how much independence she had given up in marriage.

Constance Singam: I didn't even know how to sign a check. I didn't know how to manage a budget. Everything was done for me.

It hit her with full force now, how easily her self-possession had slipped away. How easily society coaxed away the self-possession of so many women—especially in Singapore, where polygamy had been legal until 1961. While a landmark bill called the Women’s Charter had passed that year, laying a foundation of basic women’s rights, daily life was still overwhelmingly male-dominated.

Constance Singam: Young girls are being trained in a patriarchal culture to be dependent, that you need a man to be your husband, you need a man to look after you. I didn't have a purpose in life then. I didn't have status. You know, suddenly I had to create my own.

Connie looked for an outlet for this newfound independence. In 1986—now 50 years old—she started attending meetings with a new organisation called AWARE. This group of women were speaking about issues such as gender stereotypes, domestic violence and women’s education. They were warm and articulate and welcoming.

A far cry from the stony, expressionless women filling up the AWARE Centre lobby, at the 2009 AGM, 23 years later.

Constance Singam: Just being in AWARE is energising, and being president for, I have been off and on for 24 years, this is my third time. And uh that is energising and keeps me young.

As chair of the Annual General Meeting, Connie launched into her opening address.

Constance Singam: You have to create your own spaces here. We are very open. Create your own energy, create your own sub-committees, bring up issues. Speak. Speak. Speak.

AWARE AGMs are always recorded. That means we have audio of the almost four-hour meeting that went down that day. One thing that sticks out, listening now, is how delighted Connie initially sounds about the turnout. She mentions it several times.

Constance Singam: The last three months, how many new members do we have?

Unidentified: Over a hundred signups just for the first two and a half months of this year.

Constance Singam: The various media events we have over radio, over TV, over the newspapers, have attracted more members.

Instead of the couple dozen members everyone had expected to turn up, the attendance sheet from that day lists a whopping total of 99 Ordinary, voting Members and 3 non-voting Associate Members.

As she looked out at the crowd, Connie thought that this sudden influx of new members showed that her publicity efforts were working. Women in Singapore still very much cared about AWARE’s mission—to lobby against gender discrimination in laws and attitudes.

In fact, Connie had plenty of reason for concern. AWARE membership had plummeted. At the end of 2008, it had clocked in at around 250—a steep drop from 675 in 1998.

Beyond the numbers, the involvement of some stalwart members had flagged. In all 24 years of its vital, vocal existence, AWARE had remained almost entirely volunteer-run. And this was a problem.

Constance Singam: The committees that we set up in AWARE never wanted to... once they finish their project, they don't want to continue. They leave the project for somebody else to pick it up. And that's what we were doing all those years. Somebody does a project, it's ignored completely, you know? And it's dropped by that EXCO.

It wasn’t that people didn’t care. Most of them were just totally burned out.

Constance Singam: Because they were busy, they had other things to do with their lives, you know? For volunteers, AWARE is not the main responsibility.

In fact, for a while, the difficulty of finding a successor had prompted Connie to consider taking some drastic measures.

Constance Singam: I was suggesting various ways of resolving that crisis, you know? One is, of course, to close down.

Still, for now, Connie did what she could. On 7 March, three weeks before the AGM, national newspaper The Straits Times ran an article by her, entitled “Time to Tackle the Soft Work”. Its opening line: “This letter is a call to all of you to become bold and courageous—to live life with purpose and passion.”

Schutz Lee was AWARE’s centre manager at the time—one of the few staff positions in the organisation, in fact. She remembers Connie’s article.

Schutz Lee: It was really a call for more women to come forward to contribute to AWARE and to civil society.

Connie and Schutz hoped that a few women would read the article and feel inspired. Then something miraculous happened. In the weeks leading up to the AGM, mail started to pour into the Centre.

Schutz Lee: We noticed that we were receiving a lot of new sign up for—for membership. So a lot of women were signing up and enclosing cheques in the membership forms. That made us very happy to be honest, that membership was growing.

Dozens and dozens of membership forms came in—at least a few a day. Connie’s article had worked! Suddenly AWARE membership shot above 300.

The mood at the Centre was celebratory. So much so that, when another staff member pointed out something slightly strange, Schutz brushed it aside.

Schutz Lee: We had a part-time bookkeeper. Her name is Lin and she actually said to me, or to those of us in the office on that day, that, “Hey, it's interesting that these forms are all photocopied forms so they are all black and white forms”. The AWARE application form, membership application form, is actually a small leaflet and I believe it had—it was—it had some colour.

Lin showed Schutz: Pages and pages of new applications, but all printed off the same copy of the original form.

BJ: So normally, what would a person do if they wanted to become a member? Where would they get the form from?

Schutz Lee: Oh, you might have picked up the form from an event that AWARE participated or attended and there was a booth and an AWARE representative would say—you know, introduce AWARE to passers-by and say “would you like to join?”. So if you had signed up then, you would sign up on the official form. So it was rather unusual—in fact, very unusual for people to be signing up for membership on a black and white photocopy form. I did think that, “Oh yes, that is an interesting observation. But hey, maybe someone's doing us a favour.”

BJ: By distributing the forms.

Schutz Lee: Yes. And by getting people to sign up and be members and so we left it as that.

Even now, years later, Schutz regrets not paying more attention to this little detail.

Schutz Lee: That I didn't make more of an issue of what Lin had observed. Because I was her immediate supervisor. It was a failure of leadership on my part to accurately and correctly reflect her views and her concerns to the exco and to president.

Halijah Mohamad: More people want to, want to become members of AWARE? We must be doing something right!

Meet Halijah Mohamad. Halijah is a pint-sized family lawyer with a no-B.S. personality. Halijah has been an AWARE member since 1988—and she always attends AWARE AGMs.

Halijah Mohamad: If you think that this organisation is very important for you, you need to—you need to be assured, right, that the correct people, the suitable people are running this organisation.

When she saw the horde at the 2009 AGM, Halijah was thrilled.

Halijah Mohamad: I was welcoming all of them. I say, this is all very exciting, you know. How come, ah, so many people attending AWARE's AGM, yeah? I mean, maybe a turning point in the history of AWARE. Many people coming for AGM! So I was extremely happy and I chatted with them, invited them to eat and all that. We thought oh, finally, you know! It clicked on people that we were doing all this wondrous job, right? We didn't even realise that weeks before the AGM, memberships had been spiking up. We didn't even question that, you know? How stupid can we be and how naive?

Another thing that Connie and her executive committee prepared before the AGM was the slate of nominees for the next exco. This happened unofficially every year: the president would ask around, members would express interest—or, more accurately, allow their arms to be twisted. Not all 12 exco seats would be determined ahead of time, but certainly the top positions—the office-bearers—would.

Past AWARE president Dana Lam helped Connie with this decision in 2009. She felt good about the new line-up.

Dana Lam: It looks like we've got enough people who knew the organisation and who we trusted to do the job. Then we have Claire Nazar who was available.

Claire Nazar had come along, it seemed, at the most fortuitous time for AWARE. She had become a member just over a year before, but she had quickly gained a place of trust within the organisation. As the only child of two deaf-mute parents, Claire had always been responsible, and passionate about social justice. She was young, smart, diligent, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

And she was useful. As a lawyer, she had been tasked by the exco with reviewing AWARE’s outdated constitution, and she had jumped in enthusiastically.

Everyone liked Claire.

Constance Singam: She was committed. Yes, she was a nice person, and she worked hard.

To the flailing AWARE, Claire Nazar was a godsend. So when she agreed to succeed Connie as president, Connie was overjoyed. Here was the perfect heir to the throne.

Constance Singam: We never check people's background. They become AWARE members, they work hard and they contribute. That's that's all we need to know.

BJ: But you don't see putting Claire up for president is a mistake. Do you mean?

Constance Singam: No.

Connie confided in Claire about the waning energy at AWARE, about her wish for new blood. Claire said she would try to help.

Claire Nazar: So what we’re gonna do is, we’re gonna start off first by agreeing that we will have the voting done by a show of hands. Under the constitution it is voting by secret ballot, so we want to get that out of the way...

That’s Claire Nazar, speaking at the 2009 AGM. When the meeting began, Claire joined Connie at the head of the room. If Claire had anticipated such a high turnout that day, she was not letting on.

They completed the usual administrative business. Connie walked through 2009’s research focus areas, including the financial status of single women. She discussed an important public education programme, the Comprehensive Sexuality Programme, which AWARE was conducting in some secondary schools in Singapore. The programme taught students various options regarding their own sexual health, including contraception.

Constance Singam: It’s abstinence, contraceptive pills and condoms. We support all three. You make the choice. We don’t have a moral point of view. We just tell them and then you make your own choice.

Once that was wrapped up, it was time for the elections.

Constance Singam: Now you’re all welcome to stand for elections. [laughter] I can’t. Yes. I’ve served my two years already, so I have to step down.

Connie reiterated the nomination rules. Candidates had to be nominated and seconded by people who knew them, she said.

Constance Singam: So that makes it, uh, more credible as far as executive committee because we’ve had people who walk in and become member and become elected straight away. And then we’ve had to deal with a lot of people who didn’t know anything about AWARE. And who has been elected into the executive committee. So we are… next time the constitutional amendments will include that you have to be a member for at least one year before you can stand for election.

In case you didn’t catch that, she said that the constitution would be amended to require exco members to have at least one year’s prior experience with AWARE. For now, though, you could walk in, sign up and stand for election all on the same day.

Constance Singam: Where else can you do that? AWARE was the most democratic in that sense.

Proceedings began with the election of the new president:

Constance Singam: I will nominate Claire Nazar as the next president of AWARE.

She rattled off Claire’s dedication and qualifications. She even joked about Claire’s youth, and the stereotype that AWARE was run by old women.

Constance Singam: That is why when I became president I coloured my hair. [laughs] So Claire is our next public face of AWARE.

In her stump speech, Claire was typically likeable and modest. She joked about her agony over typos in the AGM agenda.

Claire Nazar: I would like to ask all of y’all to forgive us, there is actually a typographical error on the notice of the agenda. I know, sorry I’m just being very picky. I’m being very picky. But I tell you I just can’t stand this little thing, so I just want to apologise for that.

Constance Singam: Thanks Claire. Claire is going to tidy us all up.

There were no challengers. Claire Nazar was named the next president of AWARE.

Next up was the position of vice-president. Connie had her candidate ready: Chew I-Jin, a soft-spoken architect.

Constance Singam: Now I-Jin has been a long time member, and she was in my last exco in 1992 to ‘95. Now she is the one who is the chair of the singles sub-committee. So she comes with credentials.

Chew I-Jin: I suppose I consider myself to be a born feminist in a way, thanks to my brother, who made me assertive…

I-Jin talked to the crowd about her feminist convictions and history with AWARE, to modest applause. Just out of formality, Connie called for other nominations,

Constance Singam: So any other nominations?

And out of nowhere came the last thing anyone expected.

Somebody stood up. There was a challenger, one of the newcomers.

Jenica Chua: I propose Charlotte Lim. Dr Charlotte Lim.

Charlotte Lim? Who?

Everyone looked around until they identified Charlotte. Challenges were so rare at AGMs that the AWARE staff was caught a little off-guard.

Unidentified: OK hold on, I need to get this down. Uh, who is proposing Charlotte?

Jenica Chua: My name is Jenica. Jenica Chua.

Unidentified: How do I spell Jenica?

Jenica Chua: J-E-N-I-C-A. Chua.

Charlotte was then invited to say a little about herself. She was a demure older lady with short gray hair and glasses.

Charlotte Lim: After three years in academia, I decided to enter private sector and had privilege of working with ExxonMobil, one of the biggest companies in the Asia-Pac—well, I guess in the world, and I had responsibility for recruitment, training and education. And I ran the Asia Pacific Training Center...

This newcomer sounded really impressive, Schutz recalls now.

Schutz Lee: Her credentials were very good. And I think at that time she was either retired or semi-retired. So she had time she wanted to give back, all very good reasons.

Charlotte Lim: Why am I prepared to take office: I guess I’ve always had a heart for the poor and the oppressed, because I came from that background myself. The second thing is that I read about AWARE’s Training Institute and I think that that’s where I can contribute and I know I can make an enormous difference And then the other thing is that I’ve heard Constance in her writings and speaking at the recent EOGM that, uh, she’s looking for new blood, new energy, new faces, new ideas—so I thought, whoa, OK, fine, let me then try and see if it will work here as well. So that’s me, thank you.

So far so good.

Then Halijah posed a question.

Halijah Mohamad: Can I ask how long I-Jin has been a member of AWARE and may I ask also Ms Lim how long she has been a member of AWARE?

Chew I-Jin: 15 years.

Halijah Mohamad: Thank you. Charlotte?

Charlotte Lim: A couple of months.

15 years versus a couple of months. The imbalance was more than a little glaring.

They voted by show of hands. A few scrutineers were appointed—including the only man in the room, a new associate member named Alan Chin.

Constance Singam: How many of you in favour of Chew I-Jin becoming the vice president of AWARE on the executive committee?

Alan Chin: I have 9. So 19.

Constance Singam: Alright. Dr Charlotte Lim then. How many in favour of Dr Charlotte Lim?

Alan Chin: 12, 13, 14… so 33 + 34.

Constance Singam: Some people have abstained.

The final tally was 67 to 19. Sixty-seven votes for the newcomer—mostly from members as new to AWARE as she was.

Connie tried to hide her surprise.

Constance Singam: Alright, Dr Charlotte Lim has been… Dr Charlotte Lim has been elected as the next Vice President of AWARE.

How had a stranger won AWARE’s vice presidency so resoundingly?

Tan Joo Hymn: I could see Constance up front and she was just trying to be very civil, very polite, but it was getting harder and harder, you know. And then there were various old, long-time members in the audience, Halijah, Dana, and they were getting more and more worked up.

Something was wrong. Halijah, Dana and most of all Joo Hymn, who arrived at the AGM halfway through, they could all feel it. But nobody could yet put their finger on what.

BJ: At which point did you realise something wasn't right?

Halijah Mohamad: So when everything was contested, of course lah, you fell off your chair, right? Yeah. And you start wondering, what on earth was happening?

Dana Lam: It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense. Who is the newcomer? We don't know her at all. How do you speak out of the blue if you have not been engaging with

DL: the organisation or the issue that's being debated? So that was the first time I had the inkling that something was amiss.

For now, all Joo Hymn could pick up was dread.

Tan Joo Hymn: It's a sense of like just watching my—watching the house burn down, watching my house burn down and feeling like I don't have enough buckets of water to throw at it.

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF SAGA:

Tanneke Zeeuw: I’m very uncomfortable watching people who have not been involved with the organisation being voted for the board or even putting themselves forward for the board.

Jenica Chua: As Constance mentioned, we want new blood and I am actually very excited. I’m a new blood, OK, I’m campaigning as new blood.

Dana Lam: I just felt they were hedging. It was a very easy question to answer: “Yes, I believe women should be equal.”

Constance Singam: I'm very good at standing confident, and strong. And nobody knows my stomach is churning. My heart is beating. Nobody knows.

For this podcast, we reached out to Claire Nazar, Alan Chin, Jenica Chua and Charlotte Lim, but they did not respond to our interview requests.

Saga is hosted by me, Bharati Jagdish. It was written and produced by Jasmine Ng and Kelly Leow. Audio post production by Mocha Chai Laboratories, with sound design by Chong Xinying and Amelia Sai. Nur Aina Sapari was our associate producer and Balli Kaur Jaswal was our story consultant. Original score by Weish and Din of the band [.gif], and additional music from the Free Music Archive under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License. Artwork by John Albrecht. Gwend Lim was our marketing strategist. We received editorial assistance from Kaspen Paraskasis Narayan, Lim Ziqian, Megan Tan and a tireless group of interns. We're also grateful to Splice Studios, Neon Sound and Lee Wong. Visit aware.org.sg/saga for bonus clips, links to archival material, an interactive timeline, character map and more.

Episode Two

The Coup

Lee Kuan Yew: We can't go back. It is not possible. We can't say we'll educate our women but only up to a point. It's too late, we have opened Pandora's box.

Bharati Jagdish: August 1983. Lee Kuan Yew was making his annual National Day Rally speech at the National Theatre.

LKY, as many call him, was Singapore’s legendary first prime minister, widely credited for fast-tracking the nation from third world to first. As the head of the People’s Action Party, or PAP, he was in 1983 riding the crest of an almost quarter-century-long political reign. Yet in his speech, Lee seemed anxious about where his country was headed.

Lee Kuan Yew: Looking down the road, for every two uneducated workers—with a bit of exaggeration just to make my point—in 25 years' time, you will have four. We will have four. And for two graduates, we will have one.

Singapore’s overall birth rate was declining. And, Lee said, the problem lay with women. Specifically, the nation’s educated women were having too few babies, while uneducated women were having too many, in his view. For Lee, this did not bode well for future generations.

Lee Kuan Yew: I don’t want to be misunderstood. I think everybody has the right to be represented in the next generation and indeed I think everybody should be represented. That is my complaint: that the educated are not having themselves in the same proportions.

With this speech, Lee launched a set of policies that came to be known as the Graduate Mothers Scheme. These policies meant to encourage women—or rather, the right kind of women, the ones with university degrees—to procreate. At the same time, they encouraged uneducated women to have fewer children, or none at all.

What this speech also launched, however, was a potent and energetic resistance. One that turned a dramatic page in the story of women’s rights in Singapore.

Newscaster: Drama too apparently at the AWARE office as well…

Josie Lau: We are here to further the cause of women.

Dana Lam: I remember thinking, whoa, who are these people?

Constance Singam: AWARE is a very, very strong organisation. AWARE should not fudge its message.

Tan Joo Hymn: I had a sense of, like, just watching the house burn down.

Schutz Lee: How do you take over another country? You basically take over the palace.

I’m Bharati Jagdish. This is Saga, Episode 2: The Coup.

**********

Margaret Thomas: I had this minor impulse to walk out, but of course you can't. You're a journalist.

Margaret Thomas remembers the day well. She was 32, and covering Lee Kuan Yew’s National Day Rally speech as a reporter for the Singapore Monitor.

Margaret Thomas: He went on with showing all these stats about how graduate mothers were not getting married, or getting married too late, not having enough children.

The Prime Minister said that his new pro-natalist policies were centred on the fact that, quote, “biologically and genetically, every mother and father contributes equally to the child’s physical and mental attributes.” So, he argued, why not make sure the stock was as good as possible?

This plan was, in essence, eugenics. Selective breeding.

Lee Kuan Yew: We took certain irreversible steps. We must now take further steps to bring the demographic trends back to norm.

Margie was outraged.

As part of the Graduate Mothers Scheme, the government handed out tax incentives and priority school registration to female grads having children. They launched segregated matchmaking agencies: one for graduates, and two others for non-graduates. Singapore’s long-running “Stop at Two” population planning slogan became “Have three or more if you can afford it”.

Margaret Thomas: Then there were these disincentives that they offered the non-graduate women. If you were poorly educated, that means you had no O-levels or minimal O-levels, you could marry and have two children. And if you then got yourself, got yourself sterilised, they will give you a cash grant.

$10,000, to be specific.

Margaret Thomas: If you then subsequently go and have more babies, you have to return that money with interest.

Lee Kuan Yew: Those who are having too many of them, they will have to carry their own burdens if they insist on believing that it is cheaper to have 8 and more.”

Margaret Thomas: So it was… it was these elitist, sexist policies that got people upset.

One such upset person:

Kanwaljit Soin: Kanwaljit Soin. I am 77 years old. I consider myself the young old.

BJ: You look like the young old.

Kanwaljit Soin: And anyway to me chronological age is less important. I wish you'd asked me my biological age, and...

BJ: Ah. And what is your biological age?

Kanwaljit Soin: My biological age, I feel about 52.

In 1983, Kani, as she is known, was a surgeon. In the ’90s, she would become Singapore’s first female Nominated Member of Parliament, and table a bill that would change the lives of domestic violence survivors across the country. For now, though, she was merely a doctor feeling indignant about her government.

Kanwaljit Soin: I do not believe in eugenics because from a scientific point of view, I know it does not, it's not true. But again there is a fallacy, because here we are mixing up nurture and nature, because intelligence is not something that passes down by a single gene. Intelligence is polygenic.

What’s more, a person’s natural intelligence is only one factor in whether or not she has a degree.

Kanwaljit Soin: Women who, for whatever reason, didn't go to university, maybe they—many of them made sacrifices at that time, so that they could support their family, they could look after their parents, so many of them who did not go to university were then being discriminated, while those who were lucky enough to go to university and being paid at the taxpayers expense, their education, they were then being lauded, and held as examples who should get even more privileges.

For months, the Graduate Mothers Scheme united many women in outrage.

In November 1984, Margie Thomas and Kani Soin found themselves speaking on a panel at the National University of Singapore.

The panel was titled “Women’s Choices, Women’s Lives.” It was organised by Vivienne Wee, a professor at the university, and Zaibun Siraj, an organiser with the graduate society NUSS.

Margaret Thomas: I had no idea who Zaibun Siraj was, inviting me to take part in this seminar.

But what the heck, Margie thought. So she turned up and met the other attendees—a disparate and accomplished bunch. There was Hedwig Anuar, director of the National Library of Singapore; Lai Ah Eng, a social anthropologist; and bookseller Lena Lim.

The air was abuzz with frustration. Why were women being singled out by the government as the problem with fertility? Why were women being positioned as mothers and wives above all else? This emphasis on graduates—wouldn’t it disadvantage Singapore’s ethnic minority communities? As is, they tended to have limited educational mobility.

Margie was scheduled to speak last. She listened to the other speakers…

Margaret Thomas: The others wrote about, talked about women in medicine or women in public office or whatever.

... and tried to figure out what she was going to say.

Margaret Thomas: Being a journalist, I was a bit lazy and doing last minute work and I scrawled a few things out as the others were talking.

The point that Margie cobbled together was this:

Margaret Thomas: Look, it's very good for us to come here and grumble about what's going on about women's lives and women's choices. But if you want to bring about any change who's going to do it? What's the point of this forum? If people like us—educated, elite—and not prepared to step forward and get into politics or get into a position where we can influence policy then why grumble?

The other women agreed. So a group decided to meet again and keep talking.

Margaret Thomas: And this led to a whole series of meetings which eventually led to us forming a pro tem committee and forming AWARE.

The Association of Women for Action and Research. Library director Hedwig Anuar came up with the name, Margie recalls.

Margaret Thomas: What was great was, it gave us an “A” at the start, so in any lists or groups, we tend to be at the top of the list or near the top. And it's just so perfect that it fell into place when she suggested it. I mean, you know, are you aware of what's happening? And so when people end up saying, "yes, I'm aware". It's wonderful, you know, affirmation of what we're doing.

It was to be Singapore’s very first women’s rights advocacy group, openly calling out the patriarchal laws and systems subjecting women to poverty and abuse.

Margaret Thomas: We did actually look at the women's groups in that time to say, well, maybe we should join them rather than start our own group. But there were no advocacy-related groups, no activist groups.

There were cultural groups, professional groups, ladies-who-lunch groups—which all had their place. But none had the scope or ambition, the blood and the guts, of AWARE.

The pro tem committee met after work. They gathered in their homes, in public libraries, even in the waiting room of Kani Soin’s surgery.

Kanwaljit Soin: So we used to, you know, all the patients' chairs, that we rearranged them so that we can all face each other. I think it was about 12 of us and maybe, you know, 12 sounds like an ominous number. There was no Judas Iscariot, fortunately.

They talked for hours on end, into the early morning, forgetting the men and the children at home, the work waiting at their desks.

Kanwaljit Soin: There was a lot of argument and laughter.

Margaret Thomas: It got like hectic at times, you know? There were furious arguments.

BJ: And that's OK, that's good, right?

Margaret Thomas: Well, the arguments are good and the arguments are good for Singapore, I mean... you need to have- because we were coming from the same elite group, we were so conscious that we were- might be talking to ourselves. So we needed to have the other points of view and challenges. And instinctively, perhaps we recognised that this is what civil society is all about.

But it was exhausting. A new and sometimes uncomfortable frontier. Margie remembers some early reservations on her part about committing to AWARE so wholeheartedly.

Margaret Thomas: Because as a journalist, you try and stay objective and non-partisan. The moment you are committed to a cause then your columns, whatever you write about, it could be labelled as representing a partisan point of view. So I was a bit hesitant about getting involved with something but the anger of the time, the mood of the time was such that you had to.

She remembered the urge that had seized her, to walk out on Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the National Day Rally in 1983. Now she had found her tribe. A band of outsiders who saw things that nobody else could—and not just little things, but big, sprawling, structural problems with how the world worked. And they were going to do something about it.

Lena Lim: AWARE is but three months old today. There is much to do and even more to be learned. AWARE needs the support of individuals like you. Join us and be aware. [applause]

To navigate the tenuous political terrain of 1980s Singapore, AWARE’s members chose for their first president the eminently respectable, politically non-threatening Lena Lim. A wife, mother and working woman. Daughter of a diplomat.

Margaret Thomas: She’s the most conventional in a way. Chinese, married mother of two, businesswoman, not an academic who might be accused of being radical.

One person who didn’t find this reason very compelling was Lena Lim herself. Here she is.

Lena Lim: There were so many names in that initial group, who all deserved the presidency. And every one of them found an excuse to decline it. I wasn't the best choice. I was the last choice. But I… with hindsight now, I suppose that maybe, a quieter, a softer person, would be more appropriate than somebody who's out there battling everybody.

Quieter, softer—that was the face AWARE aimed to present as much as possible. Members carefully modulated the tone of their letters and speeches…

Lena Lim: Instead of saying, We demand, we said, we suggest or we propose, you know, things like that.

As Kani remembers, this diminutive approach worked.

Kanwaljit Soin: They just saw us as a woman's organisation, and what can they do. I think the government was sleeping. And they did not realise that the power of women is it can be subtle. I don't recall that the authorities were that threatened by AWARE.

But if the government was sleeping in the mid-’80s, it would soon awaken—with a vengeance.

Just as AWARE was finding its feet, something happened that made its members question everything they thought they knew about activism and organising.

In May and June of 1987, 22 people were arrested and detained without trial under Singapore's Internal Security Act—an operation codenamed Spectrum.

Lena Lim was into her second year as AWARE president.

Lena Lim: The arrests came. And for a long time, there was no statement as to why those arrests were made weeks and weeks and weeks. So we did not know... we really got pretty scared.

The detainees were ordinary people: social workers, Catholic church workers, student organisers, playwrights and publishers. Three of them were AWARE members. And because nobody knew what they had done, a panic spread across civil society, including AWARE’s leadership.

Lena Lim: In the initial days, there was great fear amongst the exco members. Some of us had gone home quickly, to trash, whatever materials they thought, thought were going to incriminate them.

Eventually the Ministry of Home Affairs released a statement accusing the detainees of a quote-unquote “Marxist conspiracy” against the state. Many interpreted this as a cover story, masking an agenda of the ruling party. Indeed, the detainees later categorically denied any Marxist associations. They said that they were just regular individuals, campaigning against inequality and other societal ills.

Whatever the truth was, it soon became clear that AWARE wasn’t directly in the government’s crosshairs. After weeks of anxiety and confusion, Lena and company heaved a sigh of relief. The women’s rights organisation would live to see another day.

Yet in many ways, Operation Spectrum is the ghost—the spectre, if you will—that haunts the rest of our story. Its lasting impact on activism in Singapore, on life in general, is hard to quantify. Ask anyone who lived through that time, and they’ll speak of a chilling effect—a pall that settled upon the nation’s burgeoning civil society. In the wake of Operation Spectrum, AWARE postponed the launch of a research report. Activity grew stilted. People spoke more quietly.

Even if you were too young to remember the incident, chances are its consequences have already seeped into you. Margie says it’s now part of the Singaporean DNA.

Margaret Thomas: It starts in schools, it goes through the whole of our lives. It's self-censorship, it is self-questioning... We've been told so many times: We've got here, we're in a very precarious position. If you take one wrong step, this is a slippery slope that will lead to all kinds of—all kinds of nasty things. So yes, we are constantly looking over our shoulder, we're constantly asking ourselves, "is this the right thing to do? You know, what are the implications?" It's not all bad. You know, in some ways, it's good that we are constantly checking and so on. But it does mean that we inhibit ourselves a lot.

We don't necessarily ask all the right questions. And it also means that we have built up a system in which leaders, political leaders, policymakers and ourselves too, don't know how to tackle difficult questions, don't know how to deal with conflict, don't know how to respond when someone is critical. And this cannot be good for us as a society.

Back in 1987, what could AWARE do? Just pick itself up and carry on.

Margaret Thomas: They just did it so much more carefully. Looking over your shoulder a bit more or more than they did before. But the commitment to the cause was still there. There were issues, there were still all these laws that discriminated against women.

After the near-crisis of Operation Spectrum, AWARE rallied, and grew from strength to strength. AWARE influenced policies: for example, lobbying for the families of female civil servants to receive the same benefits as families of male civil servants. It advocated against the quota that capped female students at a third of the medical school cohort at the National University of Singapore. AWARE also began offering support services, such as a telephone helpline, in-person counselling and a legal clinic.

Speaker 1: So when I called the hotline, everything was a blur, you know, physically, emotionally out of balance.

Speaker 2: Most people when they need help, they are so ashamed to come forward… like me, I have no one to turn to, what should I do?

Speaker 3: The AWARE Helpline is a safe, non-judgmental space for women, by women.

Speaker 4: I called in, knowing that the organisation as a whole fights for women’s rights. Gives me the sense that somebody on the other end would be a little bit more empathetic about the situations that we as a woman has been experiencing.

The organisation even survived a rift that emerged in 1995, when members argued bitterly over whether or not they could describe AWARE as “feminist”. Even though the term essentially describes someone who believes in equal rights and opportunities for all genders, the unfortunate negative stereotypes it carried were seen by some as detrimental to AWARE’s image.

The upshot? While almost everyone acknowledged that AWARE was doing feminist work, they thought the term too radical and frightening for Singapore’s conservative political climate. So, it was shelved for a while.

To the casual observer, then, all was going well at AWARE. It was doing what its founders had set out to do: make a real impact on women’s lives.

By 2009, though, some cracks were starting to show. This constant stream of activity had pushed some members into a cycle: frenzied work, then burn out, then a period of reluctant respite before starting up again. Even the founder members were carving out more space for everything else in their lives. They stopped coming to AWARE events regularly—especially the boring procedural events like the Annual General Meetings.

Margie had been in England before the 2009 AGM, tending to an aunt who eventually passed away.

Margaret Thomas: So, in the lead up to the AGM, I was really not involved. I was away and not intending to go to the AGM as I hadn't been doing for the last few years. Very few of us were directly involved in AWARE at that point. In the first 20-odd years, there were some very clear laws and policies that discriminated against women and which AWARE was challenging. But by 2009, by late ’20s, the obvious ones had been solved. There were still many issues but they were not as glaring.

As for Kani, other things had begun to occupy her energies—like WINGS, or Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully, another charity she had founded.

Kanwaljit Soin: And because of that, I had—was not so active in AWARE.

BJ: But you were still a member?

Kanwaljit Soin: Of course, I'm a life member. I will never give it up. But there was some times I did not attend the AGM unless there was a pressing issue. So that is how it came to be that, to my regret, I wasn't there in 2009 at the AGM. Not that it would have made the difference.

Returning now to 2009. AWARE’s 24th AGM was underway—and it was shaping up to be an afternoon of surprises.

For one, the vast majority of the meeting’s 102 attendees were new members who had recently joined the association. And these women were behaving very differently from your typical eager new AWARE member.

Chew I-Jin: There was something different about them. I... it's hard to describe, maybe it's not—it's even in the eyes.

That’s Chew I-Jin, an AWARE member and volunteer since 1995.

For I-Jin, the newcomers’ demeanor wasn’t the only surprise. In a major upset, I-Jin had just lost the Vice President seat on the executive committee—to Charlotte Lim, who had no prior experience with AWARE.

Constance Singam: Alright, Dr Charlotte Lim has been… Dr Charlotte Lim has been elected as the next Vice President of AWARE.

This was a sharp deviation from the leadership plan devised by outgoing president Connie Singam and newly elected president Claire Nazar. The veterans in the room were ruffled.

But no matter—there were 11 other places on the executive committee.

For Honorary Secretary, Connie put up Lillian Wong. Formerly the illustrious HR director for the Grand Hyatt hotels, Lillian was now retired. Connie had roped her into AWARE a few years prior, hoping that Lillian could make the organisation run more professionally.

But after Lillian wrapped up her speech, another surprise nomination rang out... from Jenica Chua, another new member. In fact, it was Jenica who had nominated Charlotte Lim for Vice President earlier.

Jenica spoke confidently and assertively.

Jenica Chua: OK, hello everybody. I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Jenica Chua. I’m a business consultant. So I work with SAP, which is one of the largest business software companies in the world. So what I do is, I work with customers. I actually help them review their business processes, I help them to build a business case for investment and to save millions of dollars a year…

Like Charlotte, Jenica rattled off her professional experience, and cited Connie’s call for new blood.

Jenica Chua: So I think my connections will be useful in reaching out to working women, to women in the corporate world, to communicate and reach out to them. Because as you said, as Constance mentioned, we want new blood and I am actually very excited.

Like Charlotte, Jenica didn’t give much of an explanation about her interest in AWARE. As far as volunteer work went, all she mentioned was a brief stint she had done as a counsellor for formerly incarcerated women.

Lena Lim: Can I find out what has been your interest in AWARE and what have you been doing for AWARE?

Jenica Chua: OK, so far my interest in AWARE is a lot in the Direct Services because I’ve been working in volunteer groups, reaching out...

Unidentified: What about AWARE?

Jenica Chua: No, that’s why—I’m a new blood, OK, I’m campaigning as new blood. And the reason why I think AWARE is the organisation to be in, is because, I’ve been looking at the publicity, like Lena, Lena is in the newspaper about women being proactive at all ages of life, and also Constance through her publicity, so I think this is a good place to be in. Thank you.

Now veteran AWARE member Halijah Mohamad asked Jenica a question. It was a pointed one, and when she asked it, some people blinked.

Halijah Mohamad: Can I ask a question? Do you believe in feminism and that men and women must be given equal opportunity and equal rights?

Jenica Chua: I want to speak from working in a management consulting company…

Dana Lam, herself a former AWARE president, reflects now on Jenica’s words.

Dana Lam: It was hedging. I just felt they were hedging. I felt that it was a very easy question to answer: “Yes, I believe women should be equal.”

Jenica Chua: Yes, I understand, I believe. I believe. Let me explain my background. I believe that men and women can work hand in hand and women can raise to same situation, same position as men. In terms of capability I believe that women are no less. That’s for sure.

Unidentified: ...feminism, because this is a feminist organisation.

Jenica Chua: I believe that women can rise up as men, if that’s the definition.

Women can rise up to the same position as men, Jenica had said. In what context? Her answer, oddly phrased as it was, only opened up more questions. It was not the unqualified proclamation of gender equality many in the room were hoping for.

Unsatisfied, Connie, chair of the AGM, felt compelled to speak up now.

Constance Singam: I do want to emphasise that this is a feminist organisation. For 23 years we have fought for equality. And that is why we are passionate about equality. So there is no—there is no compromise on that. We believe in equality, men and women should be treated equally, they should be respected as equals and if you do not believe in that, please don’t stand for election. That is my… we have fought for too long to give up the fight now and to compromise.

Gone were any reservations about defining AWARE as a feminist organisation.

Some newcomers in the room, however, did not seem to agree. One woman even challenged the basic premise of feminism—the existence of gender inequality.

Unidentified: In Singapore, in our education system, men and women are treated equally. In our career, in opportunities in Singapore, men and women are treated equally. So in our country, we have equal rights. So from that perspective, we are unlike other developing countries or other countries where they discriminate women. Do we believe that?

This new member insisted that men and women in Singapore already had equal rights and opportunities.

As the crowd of newcomers burst into applause, AWARE veterans Dana, Halijah and Connie looked around in bewilderment.

AWARE’s mission was to fight for gender equality. To assert categorically that the fight was already over was, well... bizarre.

Halijah Mohamad: I was perplexed. I was puzzled. I was mystified. Surely you must share some of our philosophy, right? Surely you must have been involved in our activities. Surely you must be feminist at heart. Surely you must believe in non discrimination, that the women have a bad lot in life as it is now.

Now, one of the three associate members in the room stood up: Tanneke Zeeuw, a Dutch woman and lifelong feminist, who had recently moved to Singapore. Tanneke was a new member too—this was her first AWARE event ever.

Tanneke Zeeuw: As I was looking through all the paperwork—being completely astounded at the level of work that AWARE was doing—at the same time as I was surprised at the informality of the meeting. Connie was almost proud of the fact that you could walk in and immediately become a member and quite potentially become an exco member on the same day. And that's... as she was talking about that, made me slightly uncomfortable.

So when Charlotte and Jenica—two members boasting as little AWARE experience as herself—stood for election, Tanneke sat there, an inner debate raging. She didn’t feel at ease with the newcomers taking these top exco positions—but who was she to comment? After all, one thing she was wary of, as a European living in Asia, was falling into the “white savior” trap.

Tanneke Zeeuw: This idea that Caucasians have—that they have done everything and they know everything better. I do not believe that it is appropriate for any majority power group to start telling minority power groups how they should act and how they should fight.

But at this AGM, she could not take it anymore.

Tanneke Zeeuw: I couldn't believe that there was nobody saying anything. And I didn't really want to disrespect the people who were there. But just to say, really, guys, are you—are you not seeing this happen? How are you not shouting?

She would do the shouting.

Tanneke Zeeuw: My name is Tanneke Zeeuw. I am a paid-up associate member which means I cannot currently vote. I must admit I have not myself been actively involved with this organisation although I have been obviously watching everything that’s been happening here. I have to say I am also a long-term feminist and somebody that’s been involved in a number of feminist organisations in a number of countries and I am deeply uncomfortable watching people who have not been involved, actively involved, with this organisation coming on to the board. I would be uncomfortable watching this in any environment. And this is not a slight to any people involved. I do not know them, and I do not actively know the other people involved. I’m saying I’m very uncomfortable watching people who have not been involved with the organisation being voted onto the board or even putting themselves forward for the board. So my apologies, it is not personal slight but it is not something I would approve of. Thank you.

Tanneke had broken a dam. Now Dana Lam stood up too.

Dana Lam: I have been feeling very uncomfortable but at the same time also wasn’t sure if it’s the right thing to speak up. I’m very happy and excited to see so many new nominations, but I think I’d like to remind us when we are voting we are voting for the top positions on the board. The new members, the new members who are very amply qualified, I think will be excellent as members of the board. I think that we have to think very carefully, voting very new people into the top leadership for decision-making. Because there’s—we have also been working on continuity for many years, yes? And we are barely starting to put a foot on the platform of continuity. We would like not to have to deal with a completely new slate of people who have had no history with the organisation.

At this, newcomer and now-honorary Secretary nominee Jenica Chua bristled. She pointed out that Connie, as Immediate Past President, would be constitutionally obliged to serve on the next Exco anyway. And maybe, she said, Dana should be a little less clingy.

Jenica Chua: I mean, this concern about new blood, to me, it’s like—it’s a lot about, are you willing to let go. You know? It’s not like we are not giving input. It’s not like the ex-president is not there to help steer and keep continuity. But I think to suggest, to keep raising concerns about new blood. To me, it’s something that you—we have to move forward.

Halijah cut in.

Halijah Mohamad: Can I say something, Constance? Don’t misunderstand us. We are not anti-new blood. We are for new blood. Yeah? Our point is this: that if you truly believe in the vision of AWARE, in the objectives of AWARE, there is no need to spearhead it by jumping on the board to become the key decision and policy-makers. You can show your philosophy, your belief in what we are doing, through the many projects that we have. Start with the many committees that we have. From there we can see whether you truly believe in the vision of AWARE or not. So it’s not that—let me make this very clear. Today we are not anti-new blood, yeah? Our concern is that we want to see that the vision and objectives of AWARE are maintained. We don’t work from 1985 until now to see it go down the drain.

Listening to that now, Halijah can only laugh.

Halijah Mohamad: Oh, I must have been pretty angry by then. In AWARE we are sensible people. Yes, we have differences of opinion. But at the end of the day, we are sensible. So I thought I was dealing with a bunch of sensible people. Obviously, it wasn't the case. Yeah.

Presiding over this battlefield, poor Connie tried valiantly to appear breezy and in charge, though, she admits now, internally a storm was brewing.

Constance Singam: I'm very good at standing confident, and strong. And nobody knows my stomach is churning. My heart is beating. Nobody knows. I'm not a public speaker. I'm an introvert. Nobody can see what's happening within me.

Nevertheless, she urged everyone to continue with the election.

Constance Singam: How many people in favour of Lillian being hon sec for the next executive committee? Lillian Wong. Alright. Alright, the next candidate: Jenica Chua. How many of you in favour of Jenica Chua?

She didn’t even have to count the show of hands.

Constance Singam: Alright, Jenica Chua has been overwhelmingly elected...

“Jenica Chua has been overwhelmingly elected as the next honorary secretary.”

The elections hurtled onwards, the same surreal pattern repeating itself. Newcomer Sally Ang challenged Claire Nazar’s nominee, Katharyn Peh, for assistant honorary secretary. Newcomer Maureen Ong challenged Lillian—running again—for treasurer. AWARE veterans grew increasingly agitated at the turn of events. And the stump speeches by the newcomers continued to ring out strangely hollow.

This is Sally Ang’s speech.

Sally Ang: So when I joined the AWARE, I joined with a vision that women in Singapore will be going to achieve a voice, not only a voice, but progress and growth in many areas, so that Singapore will be held up as an example to the Southeast Asia and eventually to the world at large.

Her words sound agreeable enough. But the fiery delivery belies a curious lack of substance.

Unidentified: Can you tell me about your views of feminism?

Sally Ang: Oh yes, I truly believe that women is a force in every nation. Through women, everything can be achieved. The oppressed can be lifted up, the poor can be enriched. Because women can be a good support morally, financially for other women. If we come out to sacrifice for our fellow women, and bring them up to a level where we can say, these are our fellow beings, our fellow citizens, then we can say to the world, it is possible, it can be achieved, this is a passion of women. In fact it’s through the women, the nation can be lifted up. [applause]

Some people in the room went wild for Sally’s platitudes: about women’s passions, their ability to unshackle the oppressed, and other apparent superpowers. But to others, these statements came off as empty empowerment slogans, echoes of establishment rhetoric.

Sally Ang: We believe in the cause of women for women, for the betterment of the nation. [applause]

The uneasy feeling deepened in Halijah, I-Jin, Dana and the rest. An uncanny valley produced by the newcomers’ words, as if those words were mimicking the conviction of Connie and other AWARE presidents.

Halijah Mohamad: I was sure they don't know what feminism is at that time.

It didn’t matter. One vote closed.

Constance Singam: Alright. Sally Ang has been elected to the post...

Then another.

Constance Singam: Alright. Maureen has been elected to be the Treasurer.

And each time, the strangers won.

Tan Joo Hymn: It looked like we were being swallowed up by unknowns.

Remember Tan Joo Hymn? She was the AWARE past president at the beginning of last episode, who came late to the AGM, in the middle of this growing maelstrom.

Arriving late, Joo Hymn did what nobody else had thought to do.

Tan Joo Hymn: The registration list was at the door. So I was the last person to come in, I signed on it. And then I thought, you know what, let's just take this list and start Googling the names on it. And I think there was one, one and only one male member so he—he was an obvious candidate to Google.

Alan Chin. She typed his name in. The results came up, and...

Tan Joo Hymn: My heart just sank.

The search results were horrifying. She had to share them with the others immediately.

Tan Joo Hymn: I think we just looked at each other and just went, oh no. Not good news.

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF SAGA:

Letter: Do we want a Singapore where same-sex marriage prevails?

Siew Kum Hong: if I, as a straight Chinese male who is a lawyer in Singapore, don’t speak up, then that community will never be able to speak up. There are a lot of straight allies and it’s not some kind of crazy fringe minority view.

Tan Joo Hymn: They were single laser focus. We are going to keep this law and it doesn't matter how we do it.

For this podcast, we reached out to Claire Nazar, Alan Chin, Jenica Chua, Charlotte Lim, Maureen Ong and Sally Ang. They either declined or did not respond to our interview requests.

Saga is hosted by me, Bharati Jagdish. It was written and produced by Jasmine Ng and Kelly Leow. Audio post production by Mocha Chai Laboratories, with sound design by Chong Xinying and Amelia Sai. Nur Aina Sapari was our associate producer and Balli Kaur Jaswal was our story consultant. Original score by Weish and Din of the band [.gif], and additional music from the Free Music Archive under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License. Artwork by John Albrecht. Gwend Lim was our marketing strategist. We received editorial assistance from Kaspen Paraskasis Narayan, Lim Ziqian, Megan Tan and a tireless group of interns. We're also grateful to Splice Studios, Neon Sound and Lee Wong. Visit aware.org.sg/saga for bonus clips, links to archival material, an interactive timeline, character map and more.

Episode Three

The Letters

A note: This episode of Saga contains some homophobic language.

Letter 1: Now homosexuals and lesbians want to redefine “marriage” and “family”. Why so? Do we want a Singapore where same-sex marriage prevails?

Letter 2: Research indicates environmental factors such as troubled relations with the same-sex parent and child abuse as significant causal factors in same-sex attractions.

Letter 3: Mr Siew has overstepped the boundary as an NMP when he chose to represent the homosexual interest group.

Bharati Jagdish: It was the 2009 Annual General Meeting of AWARE, Singapore's leading gender-equality organisation. But long-time member Tan Joo Hymn wasn't listening.

Instead, she was Googling. Searching the names of the new members in the room, who were dominating the election proceedings.

Tan Joo Hymn: Googling was just this, um, your heart pounding, head throbbing feeling.

The search had quickly turned up a series of anti-gay letters, published in local newspapers The Straits Times and TODAY. Most were written around 2007, when a big national debate had emerged around gay rights in Singapore.

One letter was by Angela Thiang—a new member who was now having a heated exchange with the veteran members at the AGM. Two letters were by newcomer Jenica Chua, who had just won the position of Honorary Secretary on AWARE’s executive committee. And six were by an other new member, Dr Alan Chin. The lone male in the room, he had been quietly counting election votes all afternoon.

The letters suggested a couple of alarming ideas. One: that these newcomers, who had so far acted as disparate individuals, might have a connection they hadn’t yet revealed. And two: that underlying this connection was a particularly worrying ideology.

Tan Joo Hymn: It was just this really sinking feeling, like I have a stone on top of me and this is it. There's nothing to be done, just watching it happen, you know? Watching it move to its logical conclusion without any of us having any power to do anything to change it.

Joo Hymn had another reason to be alarmed. Unlike most of the other AWARE veterans in that room, she knew these people. Perhaps not these specific people, but she knew their ilk. She had a history with them.

But what were they doing at AWARE, an organisation that stood for equality and inclusion?

Newscaster: Drama too apparently at the AWARE office as well…

Margaret Thomas: Who would want to take over AWARE? I mean, why?

Josie Lau: We are pro-family, pro-women, pro-Singapore.

Halijah Mohamad: Surely you must be feminist at heart. Surely you must believe in non-discrimination, that the women have a bad lot in life as it is now.

I’m Bharati Jagdish. This is Saga. Episode 3: The Letters

********

Alan Seah: So, section 377A is the law that criminalises sex between men.

This is Alan Seah. Alan is an ad man. He’s also a prominent figure in the movement for LGBT rights in Singapore.

The law he’s referring to here is Section 377A of Singapore’s Penal Code. 377A prohibits, quote, "any act of gross indecency" between male persons, whether in public or private. If charged, a man may be imprisoned for up to two years

Alan Seah: It is a colonial-era law that we inherited from our colonial masters, Britain, and unfortunately, Singapore has still not repealed it, as have many countries from the Commonwealth. It’s still a hugely damaging law for not just the gay community but for the entire LGBTQ community simply because it institutionalises discrimination.

377A is the root of a lot of prejudice and oppression, silence and erasure in Singapore.

Alan Seah: A lot of things cannot happen because 377A is still there, even though it's not enforced. So positive portrayals of LGBTQ are censored in the media. There's no protections for LGBTQ people in the workplace. There's no proper education in the schools to deal with sex education, whether it's bullying or counseling, so all these things are a terrible legacy of Section 377A.

Back in 2006, the Singapore government announced that, for the first time in two decades, they would undertake a major review of the nation’s Penal Code. During this review, the government decided to repeal Section 377. Section 377 criminalised sexual acts, quote unquote, “against the order of nature”, such as oral and anal sex (between anyone, including heterosexual parties). In the same breath, however, the government recommended retaining Section 377A, which applied specifically to men having sex with men.

Naturally, the gay community was angry. Angry and ready to do something about it. In fact, Alan and his friends drew inspiration to put up a fight from... a rather unlikely source.

Ian McKellen: Hello, this is Ian McKellen. I’m speaking to you from Singapore, where I’ve had the most wonderful time with the Royal Shakespeare Company…

Alan Seah: And that's Sir Ian McKellen.

The beloved English actor, famous for his iconic roles as Gandalf and Magneto, and for being an openly gay man.

In July 2007, Sir Ian was in Singapore for an international tour with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in King Lear and The Seagull.

Alan Seah: And Ian McKellen is a mischief maker and a gay activist.

While in Singapore, Sir Ian had made an effort to speak up against 377A every chance he could get, including on a morning talk show that didn’t know what hit them.

Alan Seah: I think it was a Channel NewsAsia morning show. And on the morning show, they had asked him…

Host: So just one last question, what do you hope to do in Singapore during your free time?

Alan Seah: And his answer was…

Ian McKellen: I’ll be rather controversial. I’m a gay man, and I gather that’s not a very popular thing to be. Although maybe the laws are going to change and I do hope they do change quickly. But I’ve been looking for a gay bar, if there is such a thing. So that’s what I’ve been looking for.

Alan Seah: And, you know, the host of the show didn't know what to—how to respond to that.

Host: ...OK.

In a country that routinely scrubbed depictions of homosexuality from its media, this was either embarrassing or delightful—depending on who you were.

Alan got the chance to meet Sir Ian one night. So he picked the actor’s brain about gay activism.

Alan Seah: And he was incredibly inspiring, both in terms of what he was telling us. Basically don't just accept things for what they are. It wasn't the only thing that inspired us. But it happened right before and we were like, you know, let's just do this, you know, let's just start this website and see what happens.

A group of Alan’s friends launched a website, Repeal377A.com. The site encouraged the public to sign an open letter to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, asking him to abolish the law that criminalised gay sex. The open letter racked up more than 8,000 signatures, accompanied by personal testimonials and celebrity endorsements.

[Repeal 377A video]

Meanwhile, another band of gay activists was working on a plan of their own to abolish 377A. George Hwang, an entertainment lawyer, and Stuart Koe, founder of a local LGBT website, had an idea: What if they got a Member of Parliament to table a parliamentary petition challenging the constitutionality of 377A?

The pair needed one more co-petitioner for this. That’s when George reached out to Tan Joo Hymn, who had recently ended her term as president of AWARE.

Tan Joo Hymn: One of my best friends at university came out to me in second year, and my brother came out to me the year I graduated. So, you know, two people who are very, very close to me, came out to me as gay.

In 2007, Joo Hymn had co-founded an organisation called SAFE with three other women. SAFE stood for “Supporting, Affirming and Empowering our LGBTQ friends and family”.

Tan Joo Hymn: I think at that time, a lot of parents was still very conscious about, you know, talking about gay children and gay relatives. We had a few activities, but there wasn't a lot of demand.

Still, it was enough that word reached George Hwang. He asked Joo Hymn to be a co-petitioner on his and Stuart’s petition.

Remember the fear of being political that Operation Spectrum had planted back in 1987? Nothing like this petition—so open an argument for gay rights—had ever been attempted in Singapore’s history. So Joo Hymn was nervous.

Tan Joo Hymn: The day I found out I couldn't sleep that night, because I was like, it was very much it's up to me or it's nothing.

But finally she sat up in bed and shook herself free of the paranoia.

Tan Joo Hymn: If I declined then there would be nobody, you know, so it felt. I felt like I had to do it.

So Joo Hymn told George and Stuart: I’m in.

The guys had already found a Nominated Member of Parliament who was willing to table their citizen’s petition. This NMP was Siew Kum Hong—a trained lawyer, known for his progressive views and interest in activism. When George had approached Kum Hong for this...

Siew Kum Hong: There was no hesitation. I told them yes. I didn’t really think through what it would be like and what it would entail. Frankly, I didn’t really care. It was the right thing to do. At that time it really felt like the LGBT community was kind of an easy target for people? They had no voice, there were no allies in Singapore. You know, there was no public support for that position. And so it felt like it was easy for people to pick on them. It just felt completely unfair and the things that were being said were just so… wrong! If I, as a straight Chinese male who is a lawyer in Singapore, don’t speak up, then that community will never be able to speak up. Right? And it would be a terrible world if we only speak up for the things that matter to us personally—that is so selfish! That’s not how you build a society!

George, Stuart and Joo Hymn got to canvassing. Slowly and steadily, their petition garnered more than 2,300 signatures.

Tan Joo Hymn: But, of course, this being Singapore, any optimism is always tempered with realisation that, you know, things may not go according to what we think.

They anticipated the arguments from the government.

Tan Joo Hymn: The reliance on the silent majority, that we are Asian society, we're not ready for this yet. And this is a Western concept. Where, while the irony is that 377A is actually a Western import.

When he tabled the petition in Parliament on 22 October 2007, Siew Kum Hong tried to take those ideas apart, arguing that retaining 377A while repealing 377 was discriminatory and unconstitutional. He would later recall his own nerves as he took the podium—he was, after all, the first politician to ever make such a case in the Singapore Parliament. Yet in videos of the speech, Kum Hong is eloquent, assertive and righteous.

Siew Kum Hong: The repeal of 377A is not a gay issue. It is not about gay rights. It is not just for gays, or friends or relatives of gays. No. It is about fairness, justice and non-discrimination. It is about tolerance, understanding and inclusiveness. It is about upholding the fundamental protections afforded by the Constitution, the basic pillars underpinning our country. These are issues for all Singaporeans.

He named talented Singaporeans who had left the country for good because of their sexual orientation. He said that decriminalising gay sex was not tantamount to endorsing it. He talked about the state’s obligation to uphold the rights of every citizen, not just those in the so-called majority.

Siew Kum Hong: Some have said that Singapore is not ready, that this is not the right time to repeal 377A. I disagree. I say that there is no wrong time to do the right thing. Now is the time to do the right thing, and repeal 377A.

Then came the opposition, led by Kum Hong’s fellow NMP, law professor Thio Li-ann. Like Kum Hong, Thio shook Parliament with her fervent conviction—but for very different reasons. Like Kum Hong’s speech, Thio’s has carved out its own place in local lore—though many would sooner forget it.

Thio Li-ann: Sir, the arguments to retain 377A are overwhelmingly compelling, and should be fully articulated, so that lawmakers can make informed decisions, and not be bewitched by the empty rhetoric and emotional sloganeering applied by many radical liberals… First, to say a law is archaic is merely chronological snobbery. Second, you cannot say a law is “regressive” unless you first identify your ultimate goal. If we seek to ape the sexual libertine ethos of the wild wild West, then repealing s377A is progressive. But that is not our final destination.

In her speech, Thio unleashed a slew of judgment-laden terms that she associated with homosexuality: “vile and obscene invective”, “morally bankrupt”, “perversity”, “noxious social consequences”, “slouch back to Sodom”, and so on. She invoked the slippery slope argument popular among homophobes—that gay sex was equivalent to a host of other, mostly nonconsensual, sexual acts.

Thio Li-ann: Homosexuality, bestiality, incest, paedophilia—do all these minority sexual practices merit protection?

Thio went on to describe sex acts, like rimming, in graphic biological detail not heard before or since in Parliament. This crescendoed to an analogy that has since been lodged in the memory of all who heard it.

Thio Li-ann: The anus is designed to expel waste; when something is forcibly inserted into it, the muscles contract and cause tearing; fecal waste, viruses caused by sperm and blood thus congregate, with adverse health implications like “gay bowel syndrome”, anal cancer. Anal-penetrative sex is inherently damaging to the body and a misuse of organs, like shoving a straw up your nose to drink.

Alan Seah remembers.

Alan Seah: There was a moment where, you know, after her speech, where so many in the house were applauding and thumping their seats in approval of what she said, you know. And it was so... what she said was just so ugly, you know, and for them to applaud it! Wow, that was—that was really a—a hugely disappointing moment. Shocking and disappointing.

The debate roiled on. The next day, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong—son of former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew—gave his concluding remarks on 377A. PM Lee seemed to concede some points to the pro-Repealers. Gays, he said, were...

Lee Hsien Loong: ...some of our friends, our relatives, our colleagues, our brothers and sisters, or some of our children. They too must have a place in our society, and they too are entitled to their private lives.

But, he went on,

Lee Hsien Loong: We do not approve of them actively promoting their lifestyle to others or setting the tone for mainstream society… We don't harass gays. And we don't proactively enforce Section 377A on them. But this doesn't mean we have reached a broad social consensus that this is a happy state of affairs… Therefore, we've decided to keep the status quo on Section 377A. It's better to accept the legal untidiness and the ambiguity.

It was a classically Singaporean conclusion.

Lee Hsien Loong: It works. Don't disturb it.

The Repeal377A movement had lost. Section 377A would remain in Singapore’s Penal Code. where it lives today/Section 377A would remain in Singapore’s Penal Code. It is still law today.

Kum Hong says now that he never thought they’d succeed anyway.

Siew Kum Hong: I just thought we needed to do it. In retrospect, what I think was the true success of 377A, was for the first time, established that, hey! There are straight allies. There are a lot of straight allies and it’s not some kind of crazy fringe minority view. There’s actually substantial public support for this. May or may not be the majority support, but that’s a lot of support! And suddenly everyone, whether you’re gay or straight or straight ally or whatever, realised, hey, we’re not alone.

Alan Seah agrees: No matter the outcome of the Penal Code review, 2007 was a landmark year for gay rights in Singapore. Heck, it was significant that the Prime Minister even spoke about gay Singaporeans at all.

Alan Seah: He did acknowledge, you know, that we exist. He did acknowledge that we are valuable. You know, and that was something. I'm not saying it was enough. It certainly wasn't. And it certainly didn't give us what we needed, or, you know... but it is something we can still refer to in these days, where we're still fighting, in many ways, the same fight.

Tan Joo Hymn: And that's kind of my first realisation that the ends justify the means. They were single laser focus: We are going to—we are going to keep this law and it doesn't matter how we do it.

The failure to repeal 377A in 2007 didn’t surprise Joo Hymn either. What she hadn’t quite anticipated, though, was how conservatives in Singapore—mostly Christians and Muslims—would rally to defend the law. When the public petition to Repeal 377A was launched, a group referring to itself as “the Majority” started a counter-petition: Keep 377A. This petition eventually garnered more than 15,000 signatures—outstripping both the public and parliamentary repeal petitions combined. Though unlike those, the Keep 377A petition could be signed anonymously without verification, as Kum Hong remembers.

Siew Kum Hong: Basically you could have gone in and done like 500 signatures if you wanted and they all counted, right? I’m not saying that all the numbers were fake but clearly the rigour of it was not quite there.

But interacting with the anti-gay community online was one thing. Interacting with them in the flesh was another.

Tan Joo Hymn: At the time this was being debated in Parliament and we had a press conference about it, I was pregnant—very, very heavily pregnant. And we had attended the hearing in the gallery. And walking—just walking past people who were pro-retain, the way they looked at us, it just felt like, “Wow, there are people in this world who think like this, you know. There are actually fellow country people who look at us as evil.”

The looks she received at that press conference had given Joo Hymn chills. The same chills came back to her now, at the AWARE AGM in 2009, as she read Jenica, Alan and Angela’s letters and recognised the tenor of their arguments.

Joo Hymn had a good hunch, suddenly, about what was going down at the AWARE AGM—who these strangers were.

Tan Joo Hymn: Similar people involved, not identical but the same group of people…

In a flash she had a vision of what lay ahead for AWARE.

Tan Joo Hymn: Well, first and foremost, they were not about to play nice.

Back at AWARE’s AGM, 28 March 2009. Enlisting the help of any friendly face within reach, Joo Hymn frantically tried to pass along her new information to the rest of the room: There are known homophobes in our midst.

Connie remembers now:

Constance Singam: They were standing at the back of the room. And they were making signs to me, you know. I didn't want to interrupt the meeting, I was talking and talking and I moved towards the back. And Joo Hymn told me, and then, you know... but there's nothing I can do to stop the process, you know?

The veteran AWARE members, upon processing this, immediately changed the tack of their questions to the candidates. Someone asked Honorary Treasurer candidate Maureen Ong if she believed in equal rights for gays and lesbians.

Maureen Ong: Um, I don’t believe in that.

I don’t believe in that, Maureen said.

In the audience, Halijah Mohamad recalls the shock of hearing her come out and say this.

Halijah Mohamad: I think if you truly believe, right, in anti—being anti-discrimination, one targeted group are the gays and the lesbians. Really, really, they are this prominent group that is being targeted. And I think if you don't think that they require protection, then your thing, what you say about, “you know, I am not discriminatory and all that” is bunkum.

Constance Singam: That is what feminism means. We recognise diversity, we respect people’s choices, to make their own choices.

Angela Thiang chimed in. She was confused, she said, about the relevance of the issue. Why should AWARE even discuss supporting something that was illegal?

Angela Thiang: ...is a fact that homosexuality is considered illegal under the laws in Singapore. That is a factual observation.

Angela said, “Homosexuality is considered illegal under the laws in Singapore. That is a factual observation.”

A while later, the subject came up again, when the nominations opened for the six ordinary exco member seats. Long-time AWARE members Lena Lim and Halijah Mohamad requested that each candidate answer a couple of specific questions.

Just a note here: Our recording of this meeting gets harder to make out, as members shout at each other across the room.

Lena Lim: Introduce themselves… can they say one thing that they hope to achieve for AWARE and two, I would like to know what their personal affiliations are.

Lena said, “Can they say one thing that they hope to achieve for AWARE, and I would like to know what their personal affiliations are.”

Halijah Mohamad: I also want to know if they are anti-gay and anti-lesbian. I specifically want them to answer this question.

Halijah said, “I also want to know if they are anti-gay and anti-lesbian. I specifically want them to answer this question.”

Sally Ang: The subject of the matter is to vote…

Schutz: I’m sorry. Sally, I think you’re wrong. Sally, you do not understand AWARE. By saying that, you do not understand AWARE. No no no, because there’s the values of AWARE.

Sally Ang said, “AWARE’s mission is.to advance the interest of women. But if you go into gays, that’s men already.”

Schutz Lee replied, “No, and lesbians. Does sexual orientation bother you? We are about equality, you know.”

Sally Ang: Equality for women, in terms of… by men…

A young AWARE Centre staff member piped up:

Unidentified: Do you really want to be running an organisation where you are in conflict with our ideals and if you believe so strongly that in a certain way you are at odds with AWARE’s vision, then by all means form your own group and push for your issues. But here we are pushing for certain issues, and we would like who are in position to have the same values and beliefs. Because that’s what AWARE was built on. The idea of equality for all women regardless of sexual orientation and regardless of their financial backgrounds or anything else.

But Angela Thiang wasn’t done. She took umbrage with what Lena and Halijah had requested candidates to declare.

Angela Thiang: You mentioned that AWARE is an all-inclusive organisation, you are for elquality and you are anti-discrimination. I am certainly very surprised that the candidates that are nominated for office now are specifically required to state two things. One: What is their position on the homosexual issue and second, what is their religious affiliation. I think the very fact that this request came up goes against the grain on which AWARE was built on.

She said, “You’re making people state their religious affiliations for the purpose of what—so that you may discriminate against them on the basis of their religious beliefs? I believe that is unconstitutional in AWARE’s society and according to the Singapore constitution.”

Past president Lena Lim stood up to clarify, in her stately manner. She had asked candidates to state personal affiliations, not religious ones. And LGBT rights were relevant to AWARE, because AWARE’s understanding of feminism was inclusive and intersectional.

Lena Lim: We feel that women have so far been discriminated against, and that we are a minority group, we are a marginalised group, and so in the same spirit we should not marginalise other groups, other sexual groups on the grounds of their sex. Nor should we marginalise other people on the grounds of their other beliefs. We are inclusive in our approach. And there’s no bargaining point on that.

The meeting continued, with the final round of candidates addressing the crowd. This batch ranged from veteran members throwing their hats into the ring to newcomers who said they were friends of Claire Nazar. Some even cited Connie’s Straits Times op-ed as their impetus.

Caris Lim: Hi everyone, I’m Caris. I’m a social worker by profession, and I’ve been at AWARE since year 2000 and I’m very happy to call myself a feminist now after eight years in AWARE.

Josie Lau: Hi, my name is Josie. My background is in the area of events and sponsorship marketing.

Lois Ng: Hi, my name is Lois, or you can pronounce it as “Lo-is”. I’m a friend of Claire. When Claire asked me to stand as a committee member, I told Claire, I’m actually very busy, because of the work that I’m doing. I’m a social entrepreneur...

Peggy Leong: Hi I’m Peggy. I joined AWARE quite recently, actually in response to Constance’s open letter to women on March the 8th. I told myself, OK I got to do something, and when Claire asked me to stand, I said, well, alright.

The votes were carried out by show of hand. When the dust settled, AWARE’s new 2009 exco looked like this:

President: Claire Nazar
Vice President: Charlotte Lim
Honorary Secretary: Jenica Chua
Asst. Honorary Secretary: Sally Ang
Honorary Treasurer: Maureen Ong

fter the president, that made four unknowns in the top exco positions. Five of the six ordinary exco member positions, too, went to unknowns: Irene Yee, Lois Ng, Peggy Leong, Catherine Tan and Josie Lau.

Besides Claire Nazar, only two veteran members had got onto the exco. Chew I-Jin, who after running for Vice President and losing to Charlotte, managed to clinch the position of assistant honorary treasurer by running unopposed. And Caris Lim, who had been with AWARE for eight years.

Nine out of 12 exco seats had gone to total strangers.

There was more AGM business to get to, but after three and a half hours, nobody felt up to it.

Constance Singam: Alright. This has been a long day, so I am going to recommend that the constitutional amendments be postponed to an EOGM because it will take another four hours.

The AGM was officially over.

Schutz Lee: It was a drink session that we felt we needed to have.

That’s Schutz Lee, then AWARE Centre manager. A group of members including Schutz, Connie, Dana, Halijah, Joo Hymn and Claire Nazar decided to get drinks after the AGM. After all, it was already 6pm.

Schutz Lee: At that drinks, to be honest, I think we were still trying to, you know, be positive, chin up, you know, and, you know, carry on. I was certainly going to go back and carry on as center manager, and Claire was going to carry on as president. I believe a meeting date had already been set for the first exco meeting at the end of the proceedings, so, you know, we were all going to just carry on, in spite of the fact that something very unusual has happened.

Tan Joo Hymn: We were still pinching ourselves to go, “It really happened. It really happened. It wasn't a dream".

It was obvious to everyone that this had not been a normal election.

Tan Joo Hymn: Between various people who had their own opinions, we kind of sort of agreed that this was a takeover.

A takeover orchestrated, perhaps, by the same religious conservatives keeping an anti-gay law in Singapore’s Penal Code.

What did that mean for AWARE?

Constance Singam: They will be undoing everything that we have done. They will be damaging our, you know, the objectives. They will change everything. What about all the work and all the respect that we have gained and our place in society as this strong women's organisation who's speaking up—what's going to happen to all that?

Beyond all this speculation, though, nobody knew anything. Halijah sums up the session:

Halijah Mohamad: Clearly, we have to do something, right? What that something was we all don't know. We were all flapping lah, in the dark, really. Yeah.

Lillian Wong: Connie was a mess.

That’s Lillian Wong, who ran for three different exco seats at the AGM, and lost every single one. Not that she gave a damn about that—in the aftermath of the meeting, all Lillian cared about was her close friend Connie.

Connie had kept it mostly together during the AGM, except for one moment of overwhelming emotion, when she had blurted out:

Constance Singam: I am feeling very, very disturbed by this. I am very disturbed. AWARE was one organisation which was tolerant, which was democratic. And I want to cry at what’s happening here.

After the meeting and away from the spotlight, however, her tough veneer cracked.

Lillian Wong: Connie was shattered. She was really shattered. She was crying a lot. She took it upon herself that this was her fault. It wasn't, it really wasn't. But she couldn't get out of it. She still hasn't gotten out of it.

Lillian tried to comfort her friend. She told her,

Lillian Wong: It is not you the person, Connie, it's the organisation, you know?

It was the organisation—its very openness—that had allowed this to happen.

In fact, Lillian, former HR head for Singapore’s luxurious Grand Hyatt hotel, had thought, way before this AGM, that AWARE’s Constitution was a ticking time bomb. It allowed new members to run for office immediately, with nary a background check or minimum qualification criteria.

Lillian Wong: I mean, that constitution, then, floored me. I come from an environment where everything is like, you know, you must follow this straight. And I'm saying, "How come it's so open? It's so loose?"

But Lillian hadn’t thought it her place to flag this.

Lillian Wong: I just thought, "Oh well, they said that it was an inclusive type of organisation.” So, I'm going, "Mm yeah, I suppose so." But, you know, sometimes you're not that brave yet, you know, to, "Eh hello! President, why is this like this?" You know. Because then they, they get a little bit defensive, etc., etc. OK, never mind, you just let it flow.

Actually, even if Lillian had brought this up, some AWARE members probably would have argued to keep the Constitution the way it was. They were proud of the organisation’s free and welcoming spirit. And membership was already so low, why make joining any harder?

Even now, knowing all that would ensue in the weeks to follow,

Constance Singam: I don't think I will say we were too open.

BJ: Why weren't you?

Constance Singam: because we believe in democracy and inclusiveness. And you cannot practice that without… without being open.

Who needed due process when AWARE had trust?

Constance Singam: We had a drink and I went home and I couldn't sleep.

For Connie, one drink was not going to take the edge off that disastrous AGM.

Constance Singam: Helpless. I was feeling very helpless. I was feeling, um… I don't know. I remember being in a couch. I didn't even open my windows, nothing. It was a dark room. And I was sitting there in a fetal position, thinking, “Oh God, what happened? What happened to us? What happened to us?”

She blamed herself as AWARE president, but she also blamed the other veteran members for their absence, their complacency. Their abdication of responsibility as so-called activists.

And there was one other thing at the back of everyone’s minds that evening:

Constance Singam: We couldn't talk openly because Claire was with us, you know.

A number of the newcomers had mentioned being friends with Claire Nazar in their speeches. Claire herself was a relatively new member—she’d joined just 13 months before. And she had ascended smoothly, unchallenged, to the seat of president—unlike everybody else in the pre-planned election line-up.

Could they trust Claire? Could they trust their own chosen successor, the woman now standing at the helm of AWARE?

Halijah Mohamad: I just thought that she was a spy, and that she was planted in there to become the president. And then to help all these other people to take over AWARE. That was my... my conclusion.

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF SAGA:

Lillian Wong: Oh, Claire Nazar. We had a very good working relationship, you know.

Tan Joo Hymn: If she was orchestrating a takeover, she would have been an incredibly good actor for none of us to suspect.

Alan John: They must've checked the AWARE constitution and seen, “Oh, boy, this group is an open door; anyone can go in and become the president tomorrow. Let's do it.” I said, “Connie, we have to write a story about this.”

Wong Kim Hoh: It had so many twists and turns. I mean, for want of a better word, it was very soap operatic, you know. So it was a saga, yeah.

For this podcast, we reached out to Claire Nazar, Alan Chin, Thio Li-ann and the newcomers who stood for election at AWARE’s AGM in 2009. They either declined or did not respond to our interview requests.

Saga is hosted by me, Bharati Jagdish. It was written and produced by Jasmine Ng and Kelly Leow. Audio post production by Mocha Chai Laboratories, with sound design by Chong Xinying and Amelia Sai. Nur Aina Sapari was our associate producer and Balli Kaur Jaswal was our story consultant. Original score by Weish and Din of the band [.gif], and additional music from the Free Music Archive under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License. Artwork by John Albrecht. Gwend Lim was our marketing strategist. We received editorial assistance from Kaspen Paraskasis Narayan, Lim Ziqian, Megan Tan and a tireless group of interns. We're also grateful to Splice Studios, Neon Sound and Lee Wong. Visit aware.org.sg/saga for bonus clips, links to archival material, an interactive timeline, character map and more.

Episode Four

Old Guard, New Guard

Claire Nazar: I wouldn’t have even placed myself up if not for the fact that I know who are the previous exco and who has been working with us all this while.

Bharati Jagdish: At one point during AWARE’s Annual General Meeting on 28 March 2009, Claire Nazar stopped the proceedings. She had just run unopposed for president, which was the plan agreed upon by herself and departing president Constance Singam.

But all the office bearer elections after Claire’s were upset—by Charlotte Lim, Jenica Chua, Sally Ang and Maureen Ong. Four newcomers with no experience volunteering at the gender equality organisation.

So Claire made this plea to the people in the room to vote more experienced, established AWARE members into the executive committee.

Claire Nazar: I am resting on the shoulders of those before me, OK. I’m resting on their shoulders. So I just want to say this because—I just want to say that I am new too in that sense, OK, but I’ve been here for the last one year. And my eyes have really been opened up to a lot of things. And I really want to say that I think I cannot do without them, alright, on board. The old guards, OK? Put it this way. And I want you to really consider your voting quite clearly on this thing. Yeah. And I really want to encourage you, OK, to consider...

Constance Singam: ...People who know about AWARE.

Claire Nazar: Yes, that’s right. Thank you.

There’s concern in Claire’s voice. She’s not the relaxed, confident leader she was at the start of the meeting. She’s nervous. She repeats herself.

Dana Lam: As the elections went on, I was sitting here and looking at Claire Nazar. And I noticed that she was looking more and more stricken.

Many people at that AGM, like longtime AWARE member Dana Lam, were watching Claire as the election progressed. They saw her already pale face turn white as a sheet.

Dana thought that as the newly elected president, Claire was worried about having to lead an exco of total strangers.

Dana Lam: So I even crawled to her at the side and I squatted next to her and I reassured her: “Don't worry, even if there are new faces, we are all here. We will still be supporting you.”

A few days later, though, a very different picture of Claire Nazar would emerge.

I refer to the article, 'Can mum and kids make a family?' by Janadas Devan (ST, July 7). ...I am appalled at Mr Janadas' simplistic arguments for his case that homosexuals who are 'model citizens' are qualified to raise children as a 'family' of sorts. He assumed that homosexuality was normal and/or desirable, that two same-sex persons could raise children as well or better than a man and wife. Indeed, widespread mainstreaming of this aspect of the homosexual agenda will promote sexual permissiveness and unsound, harmful social morality...

In the days following the AGM, where anti-gay letters written by some of AWARE’s new members had come to light, the veterans searched frantically for online information about their new leaders. They discovered that—like new members Alan Chin, Jenica Chua and Angela Thiang—prior to joining AWARE, Claire had written a letter to The Straits Times condemning homosexuality.

Claire’s letter, published in The Straits Times’ online forum in July 2007, was written in response to a story about a lesbian couple and their children. The writer had called the family “normal and exemplary in every way”.

In response, Claire argued that homosexuality was, quote, “just wrong”. She cited high rates of suicide among gay youth as evidence of the so-called “psychological risks” inherent to homosexuality. She also referred to men and women who have, quote, “left the homosexual lifestyle” (that is, undergone conversion therapy) as evidence that a person’s sexual orientation could be changed—a belief that medical professionals and experts have overwhelmingly rejected.

The unearthing of this letter made longtime AWARE members feel dizzy. It seemed like there were two Claires. The pleasant, reasonable Claire who believed in AWARE’s values of inclusivity, diversity and equality. And the Claire who saw homosexuality as abnormal. Unsound. Harmful.

Claire did not respond to our requests to interview her for this podcast. So we’ve had to rely on other people’s memories, and their old emails and notes, to try to answer our central question about her.

That question being: Who was the real Claire Nazar?

Newscaster: Drama too apparently at the AWARE office as well…

Constance Singam: I was sitting there in a fetal position thinking, oh, god, what happened? What happened to us, what happened to us?

Halijah Mohamad: I just thought that she was a spy, and that she was planted in there to become the president.

Alan Seah: What she said was just so ugly, you know, and for them to applaud it...

Tan Joo Hymn: To them, the ends justify the means.

I’m Bharati Jagdish. This is Saga, Episode 4—Old Guard, New Guard.

**************

Constance Singam: Just like, why do I feel guilty all the time? Why do I have this great sense of responsibility? I don't know.

In the days that followed the 28 March AGM, Constance Singam was furious at herself for allowing what increasingly seemed like an orchestrated takeover. She thought she should have seen it coming. Seen how easy it was for anyone to run for AWARE’s executive committee.

But she was also angry at her old friends—like founding member Margaret Thomas and longtime member Corinna Lim. They had not been there at the AGM. They had let her, and AWARE, down.

Constance Singam: Even now I can get angry. Even now I can cry about it.

Corinna Lim: AGMs are really boring things. And you know, if I go to AWARE for an event, it will not be an AGM.

This is Corinna Lim. Corinna had started volunteering at AWARE in 1992, when she was a corporate lawyer. In 1995, she had helped Nominated Member of Parliament and former AWARE President Kanwaljit Soin with her watershed Family Violence Bill. But then Corinna founded a dot-com start-up, and later returned to corporate law. She had no time to spare for AWARE.

BJ: This was your phase of “I have a business to run.”

Corinna Lim: Yes.

BJ: “I can't give so much of my time to AWARE.”

Corinna Lim: Yes.

Constance Singam: When I asked Margie, she said the same thing: “Everything was happening, you were there, you know, so we didn't have to come.” That was everybody's attitude.

Immediately after the AGM, Connie called Margie to tell her what had happened.

Margaret Thomas: And I laughed because what? Who? Who would want to take over AWARE? I mean, why? Why should they want? Why should they be interested in AWARE? And it was just so out of context and completely out of the blue.

Margie’s laughter felt like salt in Connie’s wound. Here she was, raising the alarm, and Margie wouldn’t take her seriously. Of course, Margie had no idea of the significance of what, for all she knew, had been just another boring old AGM.

Connie called Corinna too.

Corinna Lim: I remember Constance's conversation, and she was very upset, very angry, and also very distressed. So it was the call of a friend who was in trouble that also led me to go back very quickly, no hesitation, to join the meetings. And I think you don’t realise how precious something is until you are about to lose it.

Margie and Corinna agreed to meet the next day at Connie’s house, with Dana, Halijah Mohammad, Tan Joo Hymn, Lena Lim. People whose feminist values and commitment to AWARE’s gender equality mission were beyond reproach.

Halijah recalls that by then, paranoia was already taking over.

Halijah Mohamad: By then we know that something—something organised, right? This is organised, this is a lot of work has been put behind this coup, right? We call it “coup” by then, yeah. And so we were worried that if they knew we were having a meeting, maybe they've got PI there, with binoculars and telescope, you know? Aim at outside Constance's house, to see whether people are meeting and gathering at Constance's house. So I said, hey, lots of pairs of shoes outside, better pick inside—put inside, you know, in case the PI is walking and say “yeah, yeah, something is brewing in this, in this flat”, you know. So that was—I remember, because we—remember we all did—we were all just flapping about like, you know, a fish out of water, right?

BJ: And you know, it doesn't really make sense to hide the shoes, because if someone were watching you, they would have seen all of you guys walking into the house, one by one [laughs].

Halijah Mohamad: Stupid again! It was just, you know, unthinking, emotional response, you know? Yeah. Just flapping about, you know?

Hiding the shoes might not have foiled any spies, but it did confuse Margie.

Margaret Thomas: So I turned up at the appointed time and you know, we had been to Connie's many times. And at first I thought, oh, is this the wrong day? Have I got the wrong time? Because there was no shoes outside her flat. So anyway I knocked on the door and it opened and there was this horde of people inside. All the AWARE people, who had decided to put their shoes on the inside of Connie's flat instead of the outside. And I said, "Why?", because they didn't want to alert anybody that we were meeting. “We cannot be seen to be even meeting to talk about it.” I think nobody was really clear as to what was going on.

The ghost of Operation Spectrum rose again—that deep-seated fear of government surveillance, felt so sharply in 1987, when 22 activists were detained without trial.

Paranoia informed much of the decision-making at that meeting. Everyone agreed, for example, not to speak to the press about what had happened.

Margaret Thomas: That sense of shame, the sense that... of embarrassment that you have actually allowed yourself—not allowed yourself, you have—you have been in a situation in which you have- you have been invaded? How can this happen to us? How can we have been invaded this way? We didn't have clear proof. There was a lot of sleuthing going around. And we were all in our—after the meetings we'd go home and be Googling and trying to find connections and talking to each other. All that was still going on.

The group went over and over everything they knew about the new members at the AGM. But there was hardly any information to go on. So conversation turned to someone they did know more about: Claire Nazar.

Not everything I’m about to tell you was known to the group at Connie’s house that afternoon—some of it came to light in the following days, as more search results surfaced and more connections were revealed.

Truth be told, to this day nobody can be 100% sure of Claire Nazar’s allegiances. Looking at the evidence, there are compelling arguments both for Claire’s innocence, and for her possible complicity in the takeover.

For one, there was the fact that Claire had personally invited a bunch of the newcomers to the AGM. And she herself had nominated five for seats on the exco—which they all won.

Lois Ng: Hi, my name is Lois, or you can pronounce it as “Lo-is”. I’m a friend of Claire.

Catherine Tan: Hi, my name is Catherine, Catherine Tan. I’m actually a personal friend of Claire.

One of those five, Caris Lim, was known to Connie and company, having served in many roles over her eight years at AWARE: helpliner, counsellor, sex education trainer, etc. But the other four were strangers. Four strangers, known to have some relationship with Claire, were now serving under her on the new exco.

Of course, there was Claire’s decidedly homophobic letter to The Straits Times in July 2007. And the fact that—unbeknownst to many at AWARE—she attended a Charismatic church led by Reverend Yang Tuck Yoong, whose strident views against homosexuality were well-documented.

BJ: When you did find out, what did you think?

Halijah Mohamad: I just thought that she was a spy, and that she was planted in there to become the president. And then to help all these other people to take over AWARE. That was my conclusion.

Lastly, while she was president, Connie had given Claire the crucial task of reviewing AWARE’s constitution. For many, this was even more conclusive evidence.

Corinna Lim: Oh, I think at that time, I and most other people thought that she was part of the whole coup and that she was... she was the person that betrayed the organisation and brought her friends in.

BJ: Explain why you thought that.

Corinna Lim: Because there—there must have been someone who knew our constitution well, right. And could take advantage of it.

Claire had been asked to examine a specific section concerning the voting rights of associate members—that is, men and non-Singaporean women.

This was a topic that came up time and again at AWARE. It had most recently been discussed again at the 2008 AGM. By studying the constitution, Claire must have recognised how easy it was for new, untested members to get elected into AWARE’s exco. As long as someone nominated them, and someone else seconded the nomination, they’d be in the running.

It’s possible that, like some other members, Claire had seen that flaw as a strength. After all, as Corinna Lim explains:

Corinna Lim: We didn't see them as loopholes. We saw them as a constitution that served the purpose that it needed to serve. Because we needed people on the spot to join. If we didn't have a provision where we could just recruit people from the floor, even people we didn't know, then we actually couldn't fill the exco.

Was this just sheer naivete? Despite the evidence piling up against her, some, like Lillian Wong, did not think that Claire had malicious intent.

Lillian Wong: Oh, Claire Nazar. She was very nice. We had a very good working relationship, you know. Maybe I'm a little bit blind or whatever, but I never saw her as, you know, this sly, quiet person trying to infiltrate, you know. It didn't come across at all.

Claire had nominated four unknowns into ordinary exco positions. But Claire had also nominated Caris Lim as an ordinary member and Chew I-Jin as assistant honorary treasurer. They had both won those seats. And Caris and I-Jin were AWARE veterans.

There was the speech Claire gave at the AGM, pleading people to vote for experienced AWARE members over the newcomers. And many had observed her very palpable mounting astonishment as the elections progressed.

Another thing in her favour: Claire was simply well-liked. She had been a steady and cooperative member of AWARE for 13 months. In the second half of 2008, Claire had even worked on an AWARE childcare project with long-time members Schutz and Joo Hymn.

Tan Joo Hymn: She was very friendly and I got on very well with her and enjoyed working with her and you know, our philosophies about parenting were, you know, similar enough that we could have good conversations and I think Schutz also, you know, we found that we got on well with her and we liked her, and definitely Constance. If she was orchestrating a takeover, she would have been an incredibly good actor for none of us to suspect.

It was hard to stomach the idea that their year-long relationship could be a front.

ne last point in favour of Claire’s innocence: The very first exco meeting, with the newly elected 2009 AWARE exco, took place on Tuesday, 7 April. The meeting minutes later made their way to Margie and Dana. All 12 exco members, plus Immediate Past President Constance Singam, attended.

At this meeting, Claire was observed to be behaving defensively.

Tan Joo Hymn: She had told either Schutz or Connie that she was eating, sleeping, breathing the AWARE constitution. She had just had a copy with all the time and she was referring to it. Because whatever she said, people will question her. She would flip the constitution and go, “I'm allowed to do this because of this, or this is because…” and I think she said she was very stressed.

Claire seemed to believe that if she put one foot wrong, her exco might mutiny. It was not exactly the behaviour of someone who had just successfully orchestrated a coup.

Then, just one day after the first exco meeting—Wednesday 8 April—Claire Nazar announced her resignation as president of AWARE. She quit just 11 days into her term, leaving the organisation without a president until the following week’s meeting.

Shortly after, The Straits Times ran a long feature interview with Claire, titled “Why I quit as AWARE president”. This article is the closest we have to Claire speaking in her own words.

Former lawyer Claire Nazar quit the presidency of AWARE after just 11 days because she “did not want the hassle”.

The hassle, that is, of working with the new executive committee, which she felt was “too gung-ho” for her with its “Stormtrooper tactics”.

For starters, the new exco did not seem to take kindly to having input from former president Constance Singam or any of the veteran members of the 24-year-old women's group, Mrs Nazar said.

Worse, they kept Mrs Nazar, 37, out of the loop on various matters.

She quit to avoid the “in-house politicking”.

She said, “I didn't want to waste my time. Every hour spent at AWARE means one hour away from my family and children...I'm quite happy to step out of the picture,” said the mother of two young children, who is also a marriage counsellor.

In the interview, Claire talks about her passion for advocacy. Both her parents were born deaf-mute, she says, and she had to learn to speak up on their behalf.

When the reporter, Serene Goh, brings up her 2007 letter on gay families, Claire sighs. “For the record”, she says, “I am not anti-gay.”

“My letter was against same-sex marriages and the impact on children. It was not anti-gay, which is discrimination against homosexuals.”

It’s not totally clear what she means by this distinction. Remember, Claire had written that homosexuality was, quote, “just wrong”.

The article ends by noting:

As to the speculation that she was part of a concerted effort by the new guard to oust the old, but who pulled out at the last minute, she replied in a word: “No.”

She said, “I just want to see AWARE moving forward, and I really don't care who does it, as long as they can account for themselves.”

Some people, like Joo Hymn, feel a little sorry for Claire now.

Tan Joo Hymn: She was probably being attacked on all sides. Yeah, I don't blame her for resigning.

Joo Hymn speculates that, instead of being the mastermind behind the coup, Claire was just a pawn, used by somebody else. Joo Hymn imagines that Claire said, to this other person:

Tan Joo Hymn: "Hey, I'm now involved in AWARE, the feminist organisation. It's pretty cool. But it may be cooler if we can get in more Christians so that we can influence the discussion there...” I think at worst, I would say that she wanted maybe two or three more people, Christians, in there working with her so that they can start to introduce certain ideas that maybe she thought we were a bit too liberal about or not...not in line with her values.

Corinna Lim actually managed to speak to Claire after the saga, when the dust had settled. Claire conveyed to her that, indeed, she had innocuously asked around for new blood among her social circles—which happened to be Christian. And that she had inadvertently revealed the succession issues AWARE was facing, and the ease with which one could become an office-bearer.

Corinna Lim: And I believed her when she told me who she knew, who she didn't. And she had no idea. So she did tell people, but she was played. Right? They had made use of her to get into the organisation. So I think it was probably Connie who said, “Claire, we need more new blood. And if you have any friends that you think are capable and might be interested in this cause you should consider asking them.” So I think that's when Claire went out to ask her friends. And I'm not sure exactly who. But somehow, people used this invitation.

BJ: Why did you believe her?

Corinna Lim: I met with her and she seemed very truthful to me.

Schutz Lee may have put her finger on it when she said:

Schutz Lee: I think Claire may have been the Trojan horse.

A Trojan horse. A vehicle to get past the admittedly flimsy walls of AWARE. Armed with Claire’s knowledge, an opportunistic friend could have—

Schutz Lee: ...gathered her own women to contest in the elections.

And won them with resounding success. Leaving Claire blindsided in the process.

Who this "mastermind third party" might be was a mystery to the group gathered at Connie’s place on 30th March. What they did discuss in great detail, both at this meeting and at another one at Lena Lim’s house the next day, were their next steps.

They were joined at these meetings by two additional individuals, who, like the others, had been telephoned and summoned in secrecy. The first was Braema Mathi, another past AWARE president and former Nominated Member of Parliament. The second was lawyer Siew Kum Hong.

Kum Hong, you’ll remember, was the NMP who had tabled the petition, to repeal Section 377A, of the Penal Code back in 2007. He was also an AWARE associate member.

Siew Kum Hong: Damn! These people just come in and take their organisation away from them. These people with no track record, clearly had some kind of ulterior motive. You might not be able to prove it in the court of law, but clearly had an ulterior motive. I never hesitated. It was just like, yes! What do you need me to do? And I will do it.

An email sent out by Dana Lam after one of the meetings reveals the group’s considerations. “Dear all,” Dana writes, “We got a picture of what lies ahead… thought I’d fill you in. We looked through our current constitution to see what may be to our advantage. there is precious little…”

Dana then runs through a list of suggested actions. Some of them, such as reporting the dispute to Singapore’s Registry of Societies, or even the Prime Minister’s Office, were quickly discarded, as Corinna remembers.

Corinna Lim: If you ask me now: going to ROS? I don't think that—my sense was the government wouldn't want to get involved at all. Because for them, it's like, how will I know what the merits of this situation are? Who is right, who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, you know, why should we get involved in what might be—what seems to be a private affair? Right?

But the team did settle on three main ideas, which Dana, a diligent note-taker, laid out in another document, titled “Options”.

OPTION ONE: Wait and see what the New Exco does, while opening a dialogue with them.

Lena Lim, AWARE’s first president, was in favour of this.

Lena Lim: I felt that we should give them the benefit of a doubt and to see what were their reasons for taking it over. Were there something that we could talk about to straighten this out? There must have been a big misunderstanding.

But very few others liked option one. There was little to suggest that the new exco’s values were in line with AWARE’s principles of equality. Their actions thus far indicated otherwise. So this “give-them-a-chance” approach was a no-go for those like Kanwaljit Soin.

Kanwaljit Soin: If they wanted to change our agenda, they could be—become members of AWARE, come into our subcommittees, become elected into our executive committee and then persuade us to change our agenda or let us know why the agenda that we have is not—is not the right agenda in. Or why couldn't they have formed their own organisation and be in competition with AWARE in the marketplace of ideas?

The group agreed: “Wait and see” was not the way to go.

Corinna Lim: If you wait, it's game over. Because all of the constitution can change, and you can—can change in a way that you can never actually wrestle power back.

OPTION TWO: Publicly resign from AWARE en bloc and start a new group.

This came to be known as the “scorched earth” idea. But it too had problems. For one, the newcomers would have AWARE’s name and reputation to capitalise on as they pleased.

Also, did everyone want to start a new group? When Siew Kum Hong asked this, the women looked around the room in silence. None could say for certain that they had the commitment and the energy for that.

Which left…

OPTION THREE: Requisition.

A requisition meant making an official claim to AWARE. It involved calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting, or an EGM. At that meeting, the members could hold a vote of “no confidence” in the executive committee, calling out their lack of experience.

Corinna Lim: 10% of members can requisition the president to call an EGM, the president of the exco has an obligation to actually call an EGM. I think it was quite clear to me if we were going to do anything at all, it would have to be the EGM.

As with the other options, there were some concerns. How would the newcomers react to this counterattack?

Would the new exco even allow the EGM, and the vote of no confidence, to happen at all?

Corinna Lim: While legally this was supposed to be what it's... what they have to do, we didn't have control that they would, in fact, do that. Right? We could requisition but maybe they won't do the legal thing. And just ignore us. And then we could be stuck. So this was a possibility.

BJ: You could take them to court for it, can't you?

Corinna Lim: Yeah, but no one's gonna go to court for this, right. Court is just too expensive.

Despite those potential hurdles, the team slowly rallied around the requisition idea. It meant taking real action, instead of sitting around and watching AWARE be run into the ground. It meant having a fighting chance at saving their organisation.

Here’s Kum Hong. At this point he was acting as the group’s unofficial legal advisor, and though he tried hard to not let his own preferences show, he eventually had to admit: For him, it was requisition or go home.

Siew Kum Hong: When I was younger, I always liked to... I wouldn’t say “I always liked to fight”, but I would never shy away from a fight, let me put it that way. And so the truth is even in that first meeting, I was like “Of course you should requisition an EGM, right? Of course you should try and take it back. Of course you can’t just give it to them, right.”

If someone comes into your home and invades it, of course you have to fight back. Of course!

So it was decided. They would requisition.

Margie Thomas remembers a sudden feeling of resolve.

BJ: At which point would you say there was a greater sense of empowerment within the organisation? Where… at which point would you say all you sort of got over the shame of allowing something like that to happen?

Margaret Thomas: I think once we decided on the plan of action, once we agreed that we would requisition an EGM. Then it was no looking back, because we were just caught up in doing everything we needed to do to try and win it back.

Alan John: This AWARE wasn't just any old organisation, you know? In the in the 25 years that it had been in existence, it was in the news a lot. You know, and in that time, I think by 2009, they must have had like two or three Nominated Members of Parliament already. They were prominent people.

This is Alan John. In 2009, Alan was the deputy editor of Singapore’s biggest broadsheet newspaper: The Straits Times.

He was also friends in a personal capacity with Constance Singam, who was his wife’s godmother. Alan went way back with AWARE. He had a great admiration for the organisation—particularly its willingness to hammer away at unpopular issues.

Alan John: AWARE was a hell of an irritating organisation. I'm a friend of AWARE, OK, but was AWARE sometimes an irritant? Yes.

One day in early April, Alan and his wife were visiting Connie. A routine social call, they thought.

Alan John: But that day she was really, like, weird, and quiet and down and all that, and came a point where we had to say, “Connie, what's going on, you know, what's happening?” And that's when she just sat on her sofa and started to tear.

The story of the takeover tumbled out of Connie against her better judgment.

Alan John: And it was the most bizarre thing I had heard. I said, “Connie, we have to write a story about this.” And she was so worried. She was so worried about us writing a story. And I couldn't understand this, because this was the group raising all kinds of issues and everything.

Connie, remembering the others’ unwillingness to speak to the press, was reluctant. So Alan turned on his editor’s charm.

Alan John: In order to get the story, I'm going to say, look, I will take care with it. It's something we do countless times to many reluctant newsmakers. It is certainly not an assurance that I'm going to be on your side from here on. If tomorrow, this group turns out to be a group with fantastic evidence that shows that the former committee of AWARE had bungled something majorly, had misused funds, had mistreated its employees, had done I don’t know what, that would have been the story. There's no running away from that. So… so it was a risk that she could take. It was a mystery that deserved, you know, telling. Who did this and why? That was it. And that's all I wanted to know.

Alan called up writer Wong Kim Hoh. Kim Hoh was one of Alan’s best reporters, but as he tells it, his assignment might have also had a metaphysical logic to it.

Wong Kim Hoh: You see I have an ex-colleague who was an accountant, OK, but she had become like a feng shui master and a fortune teller. So like, prior to this incident, for the last few years, every year, after Chinese New Year, she would do my metaphysical readings and said, "Oh, you know, there's certain things that you need to be aware of, in terms of health, blah blah blah." So that year, I remember, was very strange. Because after Chinese New Year, she had a reading, and she looked at me very puzzled, and then she said, "Eh, Kim Hoh, I think ah, around May ah, you will have a lot of problems with women. You know, they will be giving you a lot of trouble.” She told me in Mandarin: "Kim Hoh, you hen duo nü ren gei ni ma fan." And I was like “Oh, OK.”

Months passed, and Kim Hoh put this out of his mind… until midway through his reporting on the AWARE takeover.

Wong Kim Hoh: “Hey, this is what Helen said, you know?” So the next morning, I called her. Then she said, "Oh, OK, let me—let me—let me do another reading for you." And then she called me back later, and she said, "Hey, Kim Ho, this will—this will happen for another month or so, you know? You will be under a lot of pressure. Just keep cool, and keep calm, and just do what you do."

So—as was his destiny—Kim Hoh went and interviewed Connie, Dana, Braema Mathi and other past presidents. Then he reached out to AWARE’s new exco, and in reply...

Wong Kim Hoh: Some slammed their phones on me. As journalists, you always have to get both sides of the story. But they—they shut us out.

Alan John: There was just a brick wall. And two weeks later, I still didn't know who are these people, you know, and that was just unbelievable, because we—this is a small town, we know everyone in this town.

Wong Kim Hoh: Yeah. Which I guess made the story more intriguing, in that sense. Why were they so mysterious, you know? So like, obviously, if they had been, let's say, noble about their intentions, yeah, they would... they would have spoken quite freely.

Finally, on 10 April, The Straits Times published its first article on the takeover. The headline: "Unknowns knock out veterans at AWARE polls”.

Singapore’s best-known women's group, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), has seen a dramatic changing of the guard—which some members are describing as nothing short of a leadership grab. Almost a fortnight into their new roles, the new leaders of AWARE were not entertaining calls from the media this week. New honorary secretary Jenica Chua Chor Ping told The Straits Times a press release would be issued “in a few days”...

The story blew up fast.

Wong Kim Hoh: I remember there were colleagues in the newsroom sending messages: "Wow, Kim Hoh, what a story", you know?

It made its rounds across the Singapore blogosphere—which in 2009 was thriving. Alternative news website The Online Citizen jumped into the fray, as well as mainstream outlets TODAY and Channel NewsAsia. Then The Business Times and the Mandarin newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.

Some hot takes missed the mark a little. Editor PN Balji wrote an op-ed in the TODAY newspaper with the title “Ladies, Have You Forgotten Your Narrative?” He called the AWARE veterans “sore losers” and accused them of themselves being intolerant to those with ideological differences. Readers wrote in to object—it wasn’t a question of tolerance, they said, it was a question of transparency. How could you tolerate someone who refuses to explain her position in the first place? (Balji later apologised for misreading the situation.)

A couple of terms were consolidated throughout this period. One was the term “Old Guard” for the longtime AWARE members: Connie, Margie, Dana, Corinna, Joo Hymn and so on. Correspondingly, the new exco became known as the “New Guard”.

Alan John: So frankly I can't remember when we started using “new guard”, “old guard”.

The other term was “saga”.

Alan John: We were giving it fairly prominent coverage by now. I think as soon as the story drags on too long, it becomes “saga”. And then some sub-editor might have put that on. And then it’s stuck. You're always looking for a catchphrase for a running story.

Wong Kim Hoh: It had so many twists and turns. I mean, for want of a better word, I mean, was very soap operatic, you know. So it was a saga, yeah.

All this coverage, but still, from the new exco, silence. Meanwhile, The Straits Times kept pushing.

Alan John: Right. So OK, by now, we knew that it wasn't the government because if it was, we would have heard from government, you know, in... after our first story came out.

That the New Guard had conservative religious views of some sort was, at this point, a given.

Alan John: And, and in those few days, you started to see some of the names turn up in church-related information, and anti-homosexual, you know, information online. And then it started to... to narrow down towards this one Anglican church.

Wong Kim Hoh: I remember, we sent out a couple of fairly—I think they were interns or new reporters, you know, to—to the church, the Church of our Savior. And they were, of course, turned away, you know, but then one of them went back one day. And then she ran into the—I think—the caretaker, the, you know, the person who looked after the grounds.

In desperation, the junior reporter showed the caretaker some photos of the new exco that the paper had managed to find online.

Wong Kim Hoh: And then the caretaker says, "Oh, this guy, this one comes to this—this one comes here,"

It was, as they say, a scoop.

Even as the AWARE saga continues to unfold, it appears that some of the newcomers in its leadership are familiar faces at the Anglican Church Of Our Saviour at Margaret Drive. Housed in a renovated former cinema near Commonwealth, the church has a congregation of about 4,000. It takes a strong stand against homosexuality and states so on its website. “Homosexual practice is contrary to God’s Word. So we stand against that and the active and aggressive promotion of such behaviour,” it states.

So there it was. The key to unravelling this mystery.

Church of Our Saviour.

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF SAGA:

Derek Hong: God says that there… there is an increasing lawlessness in the world.

Callan Tham: There was a lot of old-fashioned preaching about how men should be the head of the household and all that.

Imran Taib: Then perhaps it's time for the religious community to now re-enter the public space and kind of put their foot down.

For this podcast, we reached out to Claire Nazar and the members of the New Guard. They either declined or did not respond to our interview requests.

Saga is hosted by me, Bharati Jagdish. It was written and produced by Jasmine Ng and Kelly Leow. Audio post production by Mocha Chai Laboratories, with sound design by Chong Xinying and Amelia Sai. Nur Aina Sapari was our associate producer and Balli Kaur Jaswal was our story consultant. Original score by Weish and Din of the band [.gif], and additional music from the Free Music Archive under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License. Artwork by John Albrecht. Gwend Lim was our marketing strategist. We received editorial assistance from Kaspen Paraskasis Narayan, Lim Ziqian, Megan Tan and a tireless group of interns. We're also grateful to Splice Studios, Neon Sound and Lee Wong. Visit aware.org.sg/saga for bonus clips, links to archival material, an interactive timeline, character map and more.

Old Guard & Associates

Chew I-Jin

I-Jin is a mild-mannered architect and 15-year member of AWARE. She runs for vice president at AWARE’s 2009 Annual General Meeting on an explicitly feminist platform.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Old Guard & Associates

Constance Singam

Known as the “mother of civil society” in Singapore, Connie joined AWARE in 1986 after becoming a widow, and served as its president on three separate occasions. As outgoing president, Connie chairs the 2009 Annual General Meeting with the help of Claire Nazar. She is deeply affected by the events that follow.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Dana Lam

A writer, artist, former journalist and a one-time AWARE president. Dana attends the 2009 Annual General Meeting and is surprised at the stony faces of new members. She is later heavily involved in the requisition effort.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Halijah Mohamad

Halijah is an outspoken family lawyer and long-time member of AWARE who never misses an Annual General Meeting.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Old Guard & Associates

Schutz Lee

Schutz is a long-time member of AWARE. In early 2009, Schutz serves as Centre Manager for AWARE, working closely with President Connie Singam.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Old Guard & Associates

Tan Joo Hymn

A former president of AWARE, Joo Hymn is a strong supporter of LGBT rights. She arrives late at the 2009 Annual General Meeting - and is shocked at what she finds.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Kanwaljit Soin

Kani is a founding member of AWARE and pioneering orthopaedic surgeon. As Singapore's first female Nominated Member of Parliament from 1992 to 1996, she tabled the Family Violence Bill, which led to expanded protections for domestic violence victims. She did not attend the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Lena Lim

Founding member and first president of AWARE. The daughter of a Chinese diplomat, Lena was a bookseller and publisher. She saw AWARE through Operation Spectrum in 1987. In 2009, she is involved in the requisition efforts for AWARE.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Old Guard & Associates

Lillian Wong

A retired HR director, Lillian is nominated by Connie Singam for Honorary Secretary, then Treasurer, at AWARE's 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Old Guard & Associates

Margaret Thomas

A founding member of AWARE and veteran journalist. Margie reported on Lee Kuan Yew's 1983 National Day Rally speech, where he spoke about the controversial Graduate Mothers' Scheme. She did not attend the 2009 AGM but plays a major role in the requisition effort.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Caris Lim

A social worker and eight-year member of AWARE, she runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Old Guard & Associates

Braema Mathi

Braema is a former AWARE president, civil society stalwart and former Nominated Member of Parliament. In early 2009, she is chair of AWARE's CEDAW sub-committee. After the AGM, she is involved in the requisition effort.

Mentioned in:

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Old Guard & Associates

Corinna Lim

Corinna is a lawyer, tech entrepreneur and an AWARE member since 1992. She did not attend the 2009 AGM but plays a major role in the requisition effort.

Mentioned in:

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Kerry Wilcock

Kerry is a social worker from Australia who runs AWARE’s direct services, including the Helpline and counselling services, in 2009.

Mentioned in:

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Old Guard & Associates

Robin Rheaume

A Canadian who moved to Singapore in the '90s and became a Permanent Resident. Robin signs up to volunteer with the Old Guard after the AWARE takeover. She runs their We Are AWARE Twitter account.

Mentioned in:

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Old Guard & Associates

Deeksha Vasundhra

A former AWARE staff member, she was primarily responsible for designing AWARE's Comprehensive Sexuality Education syllabus, which was rolled out in 2008.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Old Guard & Associates

Tenley Peterson

An AWARE staff member who oversaw the launch of AWARE's Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme in 2008 and early 2009.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Old Guard & Associates

Mark Goh

A lawyer and staunch Catholic who helps the Old Guard prep for the EGM as a "legal beagle".

Mentioned in:

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Old Guard & Associates

Tan Wah Kiat

A P.E. teacher and feminist, he is an AWARE associate member and supporter of the Old Guard.

Mentioned in:

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Old Guard & Associates

Yap Ching Wi

A veteran AWARE member who used to work at Singapore’s largest Buddhist temple. She heads the Old Guard's EGM Logistics team, alongside Corinna's sister Serena Lim.

Mentioned in:

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Old Guard & Associates

Zaibun Siraj

An outspoken founding member and former president of AWARE.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Old Guard & Associates

Tanneke Zeeuw

A Dutch woman who moved to Singapore shortly before the 2009 AGM. As a new member herself, Tanneke is unsettled when multiple newcomers run for AWARE's exco.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

New Guard & Associates

Alan Chin

The only male attendee at AWARE’s 2009 Annual General Meeting, he helps to tally the votes of the executive committee election.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

New Guard & Associates

Charlotte Lim

Sometimes known as Charlotte Wong, she is a retiree who joined AWARE shortly before the 2009 Annual General Meeting, and runs for vice-president of the executive committee.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

New Guard & Associates

Claire Nazar

A young lawyer handpicked by Connie Singam to succeed her as president of AWARE in 2009. As an impressive, though relatively new, AWARE member, Claire is elected president of AWARE at the AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

New Guard & Associates

Jenica Chua

A young business consultant who joined AWARE shortly before the 2009 Annual General Meeting.

Mentioned in:

Episode One: Strangers

When mysterious newcomers crowd into the 2009 Annual General Meeting of gender-equality group AWARE, longtime members sense that something is wrong.

33:27

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

New Guard & Associates

Maureen Ong

A new member of AWARE who runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

New Guard & Associates

Sally Ang

A new member of AWARE who runs for office during the 2009 Annual General meeting.

Mentioned in:

Episode Two: The Coup

After 24 years of trailblazing advocacy, a period of burn out and apathy in 2009 makes AWARE particularly vulnerable to a takeover.

42:28

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

New Guard & Associates

Angela Thiang

A new AWARE member who attends the 2009 AGM and passionately debates veteran members.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

New Guard & Associates

Catherine Tan

A new member of AWARE who runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

New Guard & Associates

Irene Yee

A new member of AWARE who runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

New Guard & Associates

Josie Lau

A new member of AWARE who runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM. She ends up stepping into a bigger leadership role. Her relationship to other figures in the AWARE takeover becomes clearer in time.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

New Guard & Associates

Lois Ng

A new member of AWARE who heads a small social enterprise. She runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Seven: Showdown

The New Guard launches a publicity campaign to defend themselves against mounting criticism, boycotts and harassment from the public.

38:40

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

New Guard & Associates

Peggy Leong

A new member of AWARE who runs for a position on the executive committee at the 2009 AGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Others

Alan Seah

An advertising executive and LGBT activist in Singapore. In 2007, he co-founded Repeal377A.com, which hosted an open letter against Section 377A. Later, becomes a co-founder of gay pride event Pink Dot.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Siew Kum Hong

A lawyer and Nominated Member of Parliament, in 2007 he tabled the citizen’s petition against Section 377A. After the 2009 AWARE AGM, he helps with the requisition effort.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Others

Thio Li Ann

A law professor and Nominated Member of Parliament, in 2007 she argued vehemently that Singapore should keep Section 377A. She is the daughter of Thio Su Mien.

Mentioned in:

Episode Three: The Letters

AWARE members discover clues about a controversial ideology linking various newcomers, as the exco election comes to a disquieting end.

39:19

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Others

Alan John

As deputy editor of Singapore’s biggest broadsheet newspaper, The Straits Times, Alan finds out about the AWARE takeover from Connie Singam and is determined to investigate.

Mentioned in:

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Others

Wong Kim Hoh

A reporter for The Straits Times who is assigned to cover the AWARE takeover. Kim Hoh tries unsuccessfully to interview the New Guard for weeks.

Mentioned in:

Episode Four: Old Guard, New Guard

With their organisation in the hands of strangers, AWARE’s Old Guard scramble to figure out how to react—and who to trust.

42:44

Others

Callan Tham

A blogger who avidly followed news of the AWARE saga. Callan attended Church of Our Saviour for a short period in his youth, but was turned off by its conservative stance on women and LGBT rights.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Derek Hong

Senior pastor at Church of Our Saviour in 2009.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Others

Gwee Li Sui

A writer and literary scholar who gives sermons at the Free Community Church.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Others

Tong Yee

A staunch Christian, Tong Yee is an influential educator and public speaker who runs social enterprise the Thought Collective and sits on various national committees.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Gillian Koh

Deputy director for research at the Institute of Policy Studies. Gillian interviews some key Saga figures for Terence Chong's book.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib

Interfaith leader and expert on Singapore’s multiculturalism.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Others

Terence Chong

Sociologist who has written extensively about Christianity in Southeast Asia. In 2011, he edited a collection of essays on the AWARE saga.

Mentioned in:

Episode Five: Saviour

What does it mean that most of AWARE’s new executive committee attend the same church—one known for particularly conservative views?

42:32

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Others

Alexandra Serrenti

In 2009, Alex is a teacher at National University of Singapore and a counsellor. She often gives advice to students who, like herself, are queer. She supports the Old Guard's requisition effort.

Mentioned in:

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Benson Ang

A writer for The New Paper assigned to cover the AWARE saga in 2009.

Mentioned in:

Episode Six: Informants

Tensions rise at the AWARE Centre as the New Guard’s management approach clashes with that of the existing staff.

41:49

Others

Thio Su Mien

The first female dean of the Faculty of Law at National University Singapore, and founder of law firm Thio Su Mien & Partners. In April 2009, she reveals herself to be the "Feminist Mentor" who instigated the AWARE takeover.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Irene Ang

A beloved sitcom actress and founder of talent agency FLY Entertainment, Irene helps the Old Guard in its outreach efforts prior to the EGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Others

John Chew

An Anglican Archbishop and, in 2009, president of the National Council of Churches of Singapore.

Mentioned in:

Episode Nine: B-Ware

The Old Guard and volunteers pull out all the stops preparing for the Extraordinary General Meeting—with a little help from a surprising source.

47:52

Others

Pam Oei

A theatre actress, director and producer who attends the AWARE EGM in support of the Old Guard.

Mentioned in:

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Farid Hamid

A Muslim father with three daughters and former lawyer and police officer, he speaks at the AWARE EGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Others

Irene Hoe

A former journalist who had refrained from joining AWARE until 2009, she speaks at the EGM, urging others to stand up and speak out.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Others

Karen Teoh

A lawyer who speaks at the AWARE EGM, questioning the New Guard's expenditure and citing AWARE's constitution.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Others

Meera Jane Navaratnam

A young woman who speaks at the AWARE EGM in favour of women having choice.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Others

Teo You Yenn

A sociologist who studied in Berkeley before returning to Singapore. You Yenn volunteers at the AWARE EGM as a seat-warmer for the Old Guard, and goes on to get more involved in the organisation.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Ching

Ching volunteers as an event photographer for the Old Guard at the AWARE EGM. Later, becomes one of the key organisers behind gay pride event Pink Dot.

Mentioned in:

Episode Eleven: Extraordinary, Part Two

In an unforgettable turn, AWARE members new and old stand up at the EGM to speak out about the takeover, LGBT rights, feminism and democracy.

50:09

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Tommy Koh

Singapore's pre-eminent diplomat and Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations for many years.

Mentioned in:

Episode Twelve: The Winners

In the decade since the events of the AWARE Saga, what has changed in Singapore society? What has remained the same?

01:02:30

Others

Jack Yong

A communications expert who co-wrote an essay for Terence Chong's book on the AWARE saga

Mentioned in:

Episode Eight: Feminist Mentor

In a surprise announcement, the “mentor” behind the AWARE takeover finally goes public to explain the peculiar rationale behind her actions.

53:48

Others

Gregory Vijayendran

A partner at the law firm Rajah and Tann, he serves as the New Guard's legal counsel at the AWARE EGM.

Mentioned in:

Episode Ten: Extraordinary, Part One

More than 3,000 people attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, eager to determine the fate of AWARE via a vote of no confidence.

55:39

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