Response to Education Ministry’s decision to drop AWARE as a vendor for sexuality education programmes

MEDIA STATEMENT – 21 May 2009
Response to Education Ministry’s decision to drop AWARE as a vendor for sexuality education programmes

It is regrettable that the Ministry has seen a need to make this move. However, we recognise that
the ministry has been under considerable pressure from some parents on the matter and we can
understand why it has taken this action.

AWARE still believes our Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme is a much needed resource
for youths. It was drawn up by professionals and, during the two years it was run in schools, there
was no negative feedback. During the furore of recent weeks, many parents made a point of saying
they would be keen for their children to benefit from the objective and frank approach AWARE’s
programme takes to sexuality. We will continue with our review of the programme, and this will be
done in consultation with parents, teachers, counsellors and other relevant parties. At the
appropriate time we may offer it again to the Education Ministry.

The CSE programme, however, is just one of AWARE’s activities. It has been given disproportionate
publicity in recent weeks. It is unfortunate if there are now people in Singapore who associate
AWARE only with sex education.

AWARE has three areas of activity – research and advocacy, direct services, and public education.
The first, research and advocacy, has been AWARE’s hallmark from the start. The work goes on with
the CEDAW shadow report, and research into issues such as sexual harassment at work, work life
balance, the challenges faced by singles in Singapore, and the trafficking of women and children.

The AWARE helpline, along with our counselling service and the Legal Clinic, continues to be
invaluable to women in distress. With our newly expanded membership, we have many new
members who are offering to help in these areas and we hope to improve and expand these services
in the course of this year.

We also plan to step up our efforts in public education, including reviving the talks and forums that
we used to hold in the early years at public libraries and other community locations. The EGM on 2
May showed very clearly that the women of Singapore have strong views on many matters and that
they want to stand up and speak out. AWARE will organise forums and other opportunities for them
to do so. We will make greater use of new media to reach out to members and to create channels
for them to express their views and to network with each other.

Dana Lam, President.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.226

MEDIA STATEMENT – 21 May 2009
Response to Education Ministry’s decision to drop AWARE as a vendor for sexuality education programmes

It is regrettable that the Ministry has seen a need to make this move. However, we recognise that
the ministry has been under considerable pressure from some parents on the matter and we can
understand why it has taken this action.

AWARE still believes our Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme is a much needed resource
for youths. It was drawn up by professionals and, during the two years it was run in schools, there
was no negative feedback. During the furore of recent weeks, many parents made a point of saying
they would be keen for their children to benefit from the objective and frank approach AWARE’s
programme takes to sexuality. We will continue with our review of the programme, and this will be
done in consultation with parents, teachers, counsellors and other relevant parties. At the
appropriate time we may offer it again to the Education Ministry.

The CSE programme, however, is just one of AWARE’s activities. It has been given disproportionate
publicity in recent weeks. It is unfortunate if there are now people in Singapore who associate
AWARE only with sex education.

AWARE has three areas of activity – research and advocacy, direct services, and public education.
The first, research and advocacy, has been AWARE’s hallmark from the start. The work goes on with
the CEDAW shadow report, and research into issues such as sexual harassment at work, work life
balance, the challenges faced by singles in Singapore, and the trafficking of women and children.

The AWARE helpline, along with our counselling service and the Legal Clinic, continues to be
invaluable to women in distress. With our newly expanded membership, we have many new
members who are offering to help in these areas and we hope to improve and expand these services
in the course of this year.

We also plan to step up our efforts in public education, including reviving the talks and forums that
we used to hold in the early years at public libraries and other community locations. The EGM on 2
May showed very clearly that the women of Singapore have strong views on many matters and that
they want to stand up and speak out. AWARE will organise forums and other opportunities for them
to do so. We will make greater use of new media to reach out to members and to create channels
for them to express their views and to network with each other.

Dana Lam, President.

'Sexually challenged' isn't an offensive term referring to gays

'Sexually challenged' isn't an offensive term referring to gays

I WISH to comment on Dr Thio Su Mien's reference to homosexuals as sexually challenged people ('Gay activists a key constituency of Aware', May 18).

Unlike one letter writer to Forum, I do not think that is offensive. It is a fact that homosexuality is an abnormality for the simple reason that it is against the laws of nature. Nature intended each species to reproduce itself and homosexuality does not do the job.

It is possible that some people are born with homosexual inclinations but that does not make them normal. They are in the same category as people born mentally retarded or blind or deaf or mute. While we may sympathise with them, we do not think of them as normal.

This is an important point we need to convey to children in school. Human behaviour is malleable. According to many historians, homosexuality was rampant in ancient Greece because it was socially acceptable.

So if teachers and parents do not teach our young that homosexuality is unnatural, our young may decide to experiment and opt for the homosexual lifestyle.

Tan Keng Soon

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28024.450

Aware's response to MOE regrettable

Aware's response to MOE regrettable

I AM disappointed by the response from the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) to the Ministry of Education's decision not to use Aware's sexuality education programme until the public had regained its trust in it.

Aware's response to the issue - as highlighted in last Friday's report, 'Minister slams rival sides in Aware tussle', and as published on Aware's website - is in stark contrast to that of the Ministry of Education (MOE).

After receiving feedback from concerned parents and the public, MOE took quick, decisive and well-considered actions to stop all such programmes, review them carefully and re-examine the internal processes and controls of such programmes at the school and ministry levels. The outcome is a tightening of MOE's processes to vet and approve external agencies providing sexuality education in schools.

Regrettably, Aware has not changed its attitude. It still has not acknowledged that it was in the wrong.

The group has affirmed that 'during the two years it (Aware's Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme) was run in schools, there was no negative feedback' and stated that 'we recognise that the ministry has been under considerable pressure from some parents on the matter and we can understand why it has taken this action'.

This shows that Aware still believes the fault lies with the parents (who gave negative feedback) and that MOE acted only because of pressure from these parents.

Aware seems to have put the blame on the parents and MOE, while saying Aware itself has done no wrong.

Aware's attitude and reaction will not help re-establish the trust of MOE and parents in the group. Nor will it help the public to see Aware as a responsible part of Singapore's civil society.

Lee Kai Yin

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.222

SEXUALITY EDUCATION: Parents, please clue in

May 26, 2009
SEXUALITY EDUCATION
Parents, please clue in

LAST Saturday's reports ('Most parents clueless about sexuality programme', 'Sex education: Experts identify 2 'weak links' ' and 'Parents unaware of kids' Net risks') prompt a question: Are parents too busy with work and do they have no time to find out what is happening in their children's lives?

Parenting is a tough, tiring, frustrating, demanding and complex job which has no fixed hours.

But like a job, parenting must be learnt and the process is usually on the basis of trial and error on the job, which is also why it is the most stressful job an average individual can have.

How then can we support parents in parenting?

Government agencies like social service departments from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the family service centres and non-profit organisations like the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association should be able to provide the information required.

If the reports are a measure, most parents avoid the subject, which is a cause for concern as children may pick up the wrong information and values via the Internet and other sources.

Parents today are better educated than their own parents and grandparents. A better education should equip them better in clueing into the need to discuss sexuality with their children, thereby improving the parenting process.

Cecilia Ko (Ms)

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.221

Sexuality education: Materials to be online soon

May 25, 2009

Sexuality education

Materials to be online soon

		Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Sunday that parents, from June or July, can have access to the materials and sit in on their children's sexuality education classes in school. -- PHOTO: BH

THE Ministry of Education (MOE) is making its materials on sexuality education more accessible by publishing them online.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Sunday that parents, from June or July, can have access to the materials and sit in on their children's sexuality education classes in school. If they are uncomfortable with what is being taught, they can pull their children out of the classes.

Quote Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday parents, from June/July, can have access to them and sit in on the sexuality education classes in school. If they are uncomfortable with what is being taught, they can pull their children out of the classes.

MOE's sexuality education materials have actually been available since 2000.

Dr Ng told reporters the materials had been sold at bookshops and made into VCDs and DVDs, but they had not been 'very interesting for the parents'. He felt it was a 'good opportunity' to relaunch the materials, make them more available and put them online.

He was speaking at a community event on Sunday morning where he reaffirmed his ministry's commitment to being open about what schools were teaching regarding sexuality and that parents could decide if they wanted their children to be involved in the programme.

He was addressing about 300 residents and grassroots leaders at a dialogue at the Nanyang Community Centre in Jurong West.

During the session, one resident raised the issue of sexuality education taught in schools.

The issue was thrust into the spotlight following some parents' concerns about sexuality education courses offered in schools by external vendors.

On Sunday, Dr Ng reiterated the importance of parents in their children's sexuality education, though many were uncomfortable about it.

He told the audience: 'If parents are willing to teach their children about sexuality education, please go ahead. Then my schools don't have to do it. But I know parents - I'm a parent - some of you are very shy.'

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Let's have a code to ensure transparency of societies

Let's have a code to ensure transparency of societies

THE AWARE saga suggests the usefulness of instituting a "code for takeovers" for registered charities and registered societies, similar to the code which applies primarily to listed public companies and listed registered business trusts.

Charities and registered societies play a vital role in supporting a flourishing civil polity by delivering aid to the needy, providing advocacy on behalf of marginalised groups and serving as an intermediary between the state and the people.

If the boards and trustees of charities and registered societies are protected from challengers, they would tend to become complacent, if not negligent, and society would lose out.

What is crucial is transparency.

- First, the slate of candidates (both incumbent and newcomers) for the board or executive committee of a charity or registered society should be made known to the members at least one month prior to an election.

- Second, candidates should disclose whether, and with whom, they are "acting in concert".

- Third, candidates should disclose their intentions concerning the organisation and whether they plan to make any major changes to its direction or programmes.

The members of the charity or registered society can then make an informed decision at the election, and the crisis of legitimacy as was faced by the "new guard" at the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) will be less likely to occur.

Joseph Wong Kok Sen

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28024.441

Why teaching youth about condoms is important

Why teaching youth about condoms is important

I REFER to last Wednesday's Forum Online letter, "Useful programme except for condom excerpt" by Mr Steven Tan, in which he argues that teaching youth about condom use will "confuse" them into unprotected sexual activity.

Last November, it was reported in the media that one in four sexually active women does not use birth control.

A 2002 profile of women going for abortions at the National University Hospital found that 75.5 per cent were married and a large proportion did not use birth control regularly.

According to Ministry of Health statistics, most women in Singapore who contracted the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are married.

It is clear from the above�that many sexually active people in Singapore, including those who are married,�are not adequately informed�about the importance of using condoms.

The message of sexual abstinence�is not sufficient - young people must be taught about condoms so that they are�adequately prepared�when they do become sexually active.

The claim that teaching condom use "confuses" young people is the�same argument that persuaded Uganda�to abandon its strategy of�encouraging condom use in favour of "abstinence-only" education. After the change in strategy in 2001, HIV infection rates shot up.� About 130,000 new infections were identified in 2005, in comparison to 70,000 in 2002.

The World Health Organisation, Doctors Without Borders, and UNAids (a joint programme among several United Nations bodies) all take the position that the promotion of condom use is vital to securing public health.

The Health Promotion Board is right to teach our youth about condoms in accordance with�international expert medical consensus.�

We should not allow our discomfort with sensitive topics prevent us from protecting the health of our nation.

Jolene Tan Siyu (Ms)

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2 'weak links' in sex ed

May 23, 2009

2 'weak links' in sex ed

Parents and teachers 'not fully equipped' to provide right info, values

By Amelia Tan , Theresa Tan and Yeo Sam Jo
		Most parents, they said, are simply not comfortable discussing the birds and the bees with their children. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

PSYCHOLOGISTS, counsellors and other experts on Friday welcomed tighter checks by the Education Ministry on sexuality education programmes in schools, but said more attention should be paid to two weak links in the system: parents and teachers.

Most parents clueless about sexuality programme AS SEXUALITY education comes under scrutiny in schools, parents say what they welcome most is the fact that they are now getting more information about such programmes. Many of the 20 parents interviewed by The Straits Times on Friday said they had no idea what went on during sexuality education classes in school. ... more

In interviews with The Straits Times, several experts said these two groups are not fully equipped to pass on the right information and values to children.

Most parents, they said, are simply not comfortable discussing the birds and the bees with their children. What is worse is that many simply abdicate responsibility, and tell their children to get answers from teachers instead.

They added that teachers need more training to overcome the awkwardness many feel about discussing sex in class.

Said Madam Evelyn Khong, a manager and family life educator at Fei Yue Community Services, a group that holds sexuality education classes for students: 'Parents are uncomfortable talking about sex because they were taught by their parents not to talk about it. They don't understand sex fully, and think it's only about making babies.

'But sex is much more than that; it's an emotional, physical and psychological thing.'

Singapore Planned Parenthood Association president Edward Ong agreed, calling it a 'generational problem'.

Several parents interviewed admitted as much. Housewife Pricillia Ting, 44, who has two daughters aged 11 and 13, said: 'They are so young, they may not understand what sex is and may even get the wrong idea.'

Experts noted that this leads to the very situation Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Thursday should be avoided: Curious children turning to sources like the Internet and their friends for answers, and sometimes ending up with wrong solutions.

Meanwhile, teachers interviewed - all did not want to be named - said they would welcome more training.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.200

Teach sex education in context of meaningful relationships

Teach sex education in context of meaningful relationships

I READ with interest the reports on how sex education is needed to counter worrying trends and the approaches to be taken.

There is one important factor missing in all the discussions and that is the context in which sex happens - in a relationship.

Sex education is not just about teaching how sex takes place or when sexuality is aroused. Nor is it about accepting the barrage of emotions involved in exploring alternative lifestyles. These make up only one component of sex education.

The reason there's such a mess is because the programme should be entitled "Relationships", with sex, sexuality and so on as sub-topics. If sex education is taught in isolation, our children will never see the importance of abstinence or why precautions are to be taken when engaging in sex.

Relationships should be the anchor to sex and sex education should be taught in the context of a relationship and all its intricacies, such as self-esteem, values and beliefs.

First, a complete and wholesome view of what a balanced relationship should be must be shared so that children from various backgrounds understand the goal and aim of having a relationship. The choices of abstinence and the consequences of indulging in premarital sex should be shared and revealed.

Share what happens when abstinence is not practised and when relationships are not honoured. Provide our children with a reference point for a good and wise choice.

Whatever the choice is, it is ultimately their choice and they should enter these scenarios with their eyes wide open.

Don't advocate options like wearing a condom as a choice for premarital sex. Instead, educate them on what is premarital sex in the context of a relationship so that our children know why it is not encouraged.

If they do eventually engage in it, it is their personal choice but one where they are made fully aware of the consequences. They need to be ready to deal with the situation after that.

So, it's really not sex education that needs to be taught. It's the importance of being in a responsible adult relationship that needs to be shared.

We, as a society, need to be brave to stand up for what's right, to communicate clearly what's right and allow our children to make the choices themselves and subsequently handle the various consequences of their choices.

Karen Chew (Mrs)

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Changes to sex education programmes: Schools not proxy battleground

May 21, 2009

Changes to sex education programmes

Schools not proxy battleground

		Education Minister Ng Eng Hen (left) cautioned that if they do not adhere to this rule strictly, Singapore's students and educational system will end up the losers. --PHOTO: ZAOBAO

SINGAPORE schools will not become the proxy battleground for Christian right and gay interest groups to settle arguments like in the United States.

'We must not go down the way as has happened in the US? Issues will not resolved that way,' said Education Minister Ng Eng Hen on Thursday, at a press conference to announce changes to the sex education programmes in schools.

RELATED LINKS FAQ on schools sex education programmes Excerpts of Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's remarks at press conference on sexuality education on May 21

Stressing a conscious need to keep schools and education institutions here away from contending groups, Dr Ng said this applies both to external agencies, and also to teachers and principals.

'If we do not adhere to this rule strictly, our students and educational system will end up the losers,' he cautioned.

'Our students grow and learn best in an environment where they can develop their own beliefs in an objective manner, with adequate time to reflect on difficult issues, free from the rhetoric and emotional upheavals of contending parties.'

Dr Ng said the sexuality education package for schools was developed carefully by professionals and in consultation with many groups, taking into account the sensitivities Singapore?s multi-religious and multiracial country.

Even then, he conceded that there may be some who still disagree with the approach or contents.

'We respect their rights to decide as parents and to opt-out. But what we must avoid is different groups with competing ideologies using our schools and young as proxy arenas to push their own set of beliefs,' he stressed, citing the recent Association of Women for Action and Research?s (Aware) saga.

Dr Ng said the Aware episode showed clearly how easily contentious issues can inflame supporters and spin out of control.

'This applies to religion, politics, and controversial topics in sexuality education alike. All should recognise that access to students is a privilege which MOE accords, and carries with it responsibilities and accountability,' he added.

'We do have religion-based schools, and they openly teach their beliefs but parents who enrol their children in these schools do so knowingly. Even then, students can opt-out of religious programs.

'We need to preserve and protect the shared space in our schools and educational institutions.'

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.178

May 21, 2009

Changes to sex education programme

MOE tightens vetting

By Theresa Tan
		Education Minister Ng Eng Hen (left) announced schools will no longer have the autonomy to hire external groups to teach sexuality education to their students. --PHOTO: ST

SCHOOLS will no longer have the autonomy to hire external groups to teach sexuality education to their students. Instead, the Education Ministry (MOE) will now vet these providers, subject them to a "more stringent" criteria and schools can only use agencies approved by the MOE.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen announced these changes on Thursday afternoon, after parents complained of the controversial material contained in the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) sexuality education programme instructor's guide earlier this month.

RELATED LINKS Excerpts of Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's remarks at press conference on sexuality education on May 21 FAQ on schools sex education programmes

After the flood of complaints, the MOE suspended all sexuality education programmes run by external agencies on May 6.

The ministry told the media then that Aware's programme failed to conform to MOE's guidelines on sexuality education.

"In particular, some suggested responses in the instructor guide are explicit and inappropriate and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex," the MOE said.

Going forward, the MOE will provide parents with more information on sexuality education programmes taught in school and parents can pull their children out of these programmes if they don't feel comfortable with it.

However, the MOE's core sexuality education programme will continue and Dr Ng explained why. The number of teens down with sexually transmitted diseases jumped from 238 in 2002 to 787 in 2008, HIV among teens is on the rise and some 2,000 teens get pregnant every year.

Dr Ng said: "If you don't give them information, they will get it elsewhere. So schools must be a source of information, giving students a healthy perspective on sexuality education."

Dr Ng also had very strong words for parties involved in the Aware saga.

"Schools were dragged into this melee and could have become the proxy arena for competing ideologies. Issues became muddled, emotions ran high. This is an unhealthy, unproductive way to try to resolve issues that are inherently divisive," he said.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.177

Why sex education is needed

May 21, 2009

Changes to sex education programme

Why sex education is needed

By Amelia Tan
		The number of teenage pregnancies in Singapore has held steady, averaging about 8.4 per 1,000. --PHOTO: FARHAN SYSTEM

THE rising number of teens infected with sexually transmitted diseases and HIV is the main push behind the Ministry of Education's (MOE) sexuality education programme in schools.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen on Thursday released data on teens' sexual habits to underscore the need for it and how it has changed, for example, the MOE recently included the use of contraception in the curriculum.

RELATED LINKS FAQ on schools sex education programmes Excerpts of Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's remarks at press conference on sexuality education on May 21

He said the number of teenage pregnancies in Singapore has held steady, averaging about 8.4 per 1,000. This is not as high as in Australia and England where the teenage pregnancy rate is 16.3 per 1000 for 2004 and 41.7 per 1,000 for 2007 respectively.

What is worrying is that the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have jumped 2.5 times from 238 cases in 2002 to 787 in 2008. The number of HIV cases has also gone up from one case in 2002 to nine in 2007.

A survey conducted by the Health Promotion Board and MOE in 2006 showed 8 per cent of 4,000 students aged between 14 and 19 years admitted that they were having sex. And fewer than a quarter of these sexually active youths used any protection.

Dr Ng said in response to these trends, the ministry decided in 2007 that students should know about the repercussions of unwanted pregnancies and STIs.

He added: When we started, the key message was abstinence, reflecting the conservative social tone of our Asian society where liberal values on sex are not espoused. This is not a negative facet of our society. It is not prudish, regressive or naive.'

'But it was clear that abstinence as the only focus was not an effective strategy in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies and STIs.

' In 2007, messages were added - beyond knowing how to say no, students were also taught the repercussions of unwanted pregnancies and STIs and HIV and how to prevent them. This is now a key focus of sexuality education, and should continue to be moving forward.'

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.176

Useful programme except for condom excerpt

Useful programme except for condom excerpt

I RECENTLY came to know that upper secondary and junior college students go through an educational programme on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Aids), called Breaking Down Barriers, by the Health Promotion Board (HPB).

Besides providing accurate facts about STIs, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Aids, the programme also imparts useful skills to students, such as decision-making and the right places to obtain reliable information, as well as assertiveness and strategies on how not to succumb to persuasion.

I was truly heartened to learn that the students were taught that the best way to avoid STIs and Aids is to avoid casual sex, sex with multiple partners and unprotected sex, and to stay faithful to a partner within the context of marriage.

However, the students were subsequently taught how to use a condom.

While I understand HPB's good intention to curb the rising incidence of STIs among the young, I wish to express my concerns as a parent that students are being taught how to use condoms in school.

- It gives a mixed and confusing message. Is it not better to encourage students to avoid pre-marital sex altogether, since the programme also teaches that the use of condom is not 100 per cent safe?

- Students are not likely to heed or remember to practise safe sex just because they have attended a lesson on condom use.

- Even if they do use a condom, they are not likely - in the heat of the moment - to remember or follow the steps to use a condom correctly.

I truly appreciate the HPB's efforts for creating such a programme and hope that it will review and consider whether it is really necessary or useful to teach students how to use a condom.

This confuses, contradicts and compromises the good advice to avoid pre-marital sex as the only foolproof protection against STIs and Aids.

Steven Tan

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An open letter to the Ministry of Education, petitioning for the removal of AWARE as a sex education provider

An open letter to the Ministry of Education, petitioning for the removal of AWARE as a sex education provider

The petition

Please sign the petition below if you agree that MOE should not allow AWARE to continue being a sexuality education provider to schools.

Deadline for submission to MOE: 31 May 2009

Thank you for your support!

*************************************************
To: The Minister for Education
Dear Sir

OPEN LETTER TO MOE REQUESTING FOR REMOVAL OF AWARE AS SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROVIDER

We refer to the Press Release of the Ministry of Education (“MOE”) dated 7th May 2009. We thank the MOE for its clear statement and reassurance that “MOE and the schools do not promote alternative lifestyles to our students. MOE’s framework for sexuality education reflects the mainstream views and values of Singapore society, where the social norm consists of the married heterosexual family unit”. We also appreciate the MOE’s decisive move in swiftly suspending all sexuality education programs by external providers.

Nevertheless, we note that AWARE is unapologetic for its non-conformance with MOE’s guidelines. In this regard we refer to the ongoing petition against AWARE at http://www.ipetitions.com/peti...

AWARE’s:
(a) consistent wilful or negligent non-compliance with MOE’s guidelines over 2 years;
(b) unapologetic stance with respect to the above; and
(c) continuing assertions that they stand by their erroneous CSE programme

together indicate a lack of regard for the severity of their actions. More importantly, such behaviour gives parents no confidence that AWARE will respect or comply with MOE guidelines in the future. We are also not confident that values contrary to Singapore’s mainstream views and values will not be introduced by AWARE or its trainers into its programs in future under the guise of ‘discussion’ or in a manner such as would escape detection by MOE, parents or schools.

In other words, AWARE has not only betrayed our trust but has also completely lost the trust of parents to continue delivering sexuality education programmes to our children. As responsible parents, we cannot accept or tolerate any further contact between an untrustworthy provider such as AWARE and our impressionable children, particularly on sensitive areas such as sexuality education that can have far-reaching impact on our childrens’ values and lives.

In the circumstances, we:
(1) strongly urge the MOE to remove AWARE as a sexuality education programme provider. Apart from providing much-needed reassurance to parents that they need no longer fear the intrusion of AWARE into our children’s schools, we believe that this is also necessary to send a clear deterrent message to all external providers that MOE’s guidelines are to be strictly adhered to, and that there will be consequences for failing to do so.

(2) respectfully request that MOE procures the release and full disclosure of all CSE programme materials, including all instructor guides and notes, to parents whose children have been through the CSE programme. This is so that parents will be informed of the full extent to which the CSE programme departed from Singapore’s mainstream values and be equipped to remedy any damage or confusion, or correct any wrong thinking resulting from their children’s exposure to the CSE programme. We believe that AWARE should be fully accountable to parents for the contents of the CSE Programme, and have reason to believe that there are other materials apart from the Basic Instructor Guide which should be made available for parental and MOE scrutiny, including an advanced instructor guide.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.
Yours faithfully

cc. The Prime Minister’s Office

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ban_aware_from_schools/

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Petition AWARE for Public Apology and Disclosure

Petition AWARE for Public Apology and Disclosure

The petition

Please sign this petition by 31 MAY 2009 if you agree that AWARE (1) owes parents a public apology for running the CSE Programme in breach of MOE guidelines; and
(2) should take full responsibility for the CSE Programme instead of citing the lack of complaints;
(3) should fully disclose all relevant CSE materials to parents and MOE and be fully accountable to them for the contents.

Apart from the Basic Instructors' Guide, there are other CSE materials including, we believe, an advanced instructor's guide.
***********************************************************
To: The President, AWARE
Dear Sir

In its Press Release on 6 May 2009, the Ministry of Education (“MOE”) stated that AWARE’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (“CSE”): Basic Instructor Guide (“Guide”) did not conform to the Ministry’s guidelines, and that it contained explicit and inappropriate responses that “could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex”.
However, we note that AWARE has not issued an apology to parents for its breach of MOE guidelines, but has instead defiantly maintained that they stand by their CSE Programme. AWARE’s unapologetic stance is evident from the following public statements:

1. “We stand by our CSE programme” (AWARE President’s message, 7 May 2009)

In trumpeting the above, AWARE ignores the severity of its actions and its grave betrayal of the trust of many parents. The fact is, AWARE’s CSE Programme:
(a) is non-compliant with MOE’s guidelines;
(b) goes against the mainstream views and values of Singapore society;
(c) goes against the Government's position as stated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament in October 2007; and
(d) contained explicit and inappropriate content.
(collectively “Non-compliant”)
AWARE has no business or right to place its own agenda over and above those stipulated by MOE or to impose its own views on children entrusted to them. Not only was an apology not forthcoming for its actions, AWARE audaciously retorted that they stand by their CSE Programme. In other words, it appears to us that AWARE:
(a) affirms the offending content found in their Guide;
(b) confirms that the Guide has always represented the official position of AWARE and the offending content was inserted deliberately and with due consideration contrary to MOE guidelines.

2. “As I’ve said to the press, we’ve been running the programme for two years without complains [sic].” (AWARE President’s message, 7 May 2009)
“Furthermore, parents can opt for their children not to attend the programme” (ST interview with AWARE, 10 May 2009)

Instead of taking full responsibility for their non-compliance, AWARE repeatedly cites the fact that they have not received complaints as if that exonerates their CSE Programme. In our view, it does not for the following reasons:

(a) The lack of complaints by parents does not excuse AWARE from breach of MOE guidelines. Failure or delay in detecting a breach does not mean the breach did not happen and does not justify the continuation of that breach.
(b) Parents did not complain because they were not aware or apprised of the contents of the CSE Programme. AWARE has itself stated that the Guide is confidential.
(c) If AWARE did not specifically request or invite teachers and parents to sit in on CSE sessions, and only students were present, AWARE cannot reasonably expect students to lodge complaints. In any case, the lack of complaints by students does not exculpate AWARE but only confirms that students are impressionable, especially with respect to programmes run under the legitimacy of authorised educational providers.
(d) Parents, without being informed of the contents of the CSE Programme, would not generally have had reason to ‘opt for their children not to attend the programme’, precisely because they trusted that AWARE would comply with MOE guidelines.
AWARE cannot expect parents to actively scrutinise and police every letter and detail of every educational programme run by schools and authorised providers. A large part of the relationship between parents, schools and such providers is based on trust. Parents trust that authorised providers will comply with MOE guidelines. AWARE has betrayed that trust.

3. “We are prepared to review these and make any necessary changes so long as the principles and objectives of the CSE are not compromised...” (AWARE President’s message, 7 May 2009)

It is worrying that AWARE’s commitment to make changes to the CSE Programme based on MOE guidelines is not unconditional, but only “…so long as the principles and objectives of the CSE are not compromised…” We fail to see how AWARE can conscionably continue to uphold “principles and objectives” which were the foundation of a Non-compliant CSE Programme.

4. “The information (in the Basic Instructor’s Guide) was taken from a confidential instructor’s booklet, illegally released online, pounced on and distorted…. the accusations by … parents, that AWARE’s programme promoted homosexuality, were based on information taken out of context...” (Straits Times interview with AWARE, 10th May 2009)

It appears to us that:
a) AWARE is not sorry that their CSE Programme was Non-compliant, but only that its contents were exposed.
b) By keeping the CSE Programme materials confidential, AWARE demonstrates a lack of transparency which is inconsistent with AWARE’s own recognition of the importance of transparency in recent events.
c) AWARE does not claim responsibility for its Guide’s non-compliance but accuses others of having ‘distorted’ the Guide. Further, AWARE appears to take the view that its CSE Programme and Guide are without reproach and that the fault lies rather with parents for reading it ‘out of context’.
If AWARE feels that information has been taken out of context, AWARE should make fully disclose CSE Programme materials so that everyone can properly review the Guide in its full context. Further, no less than full disclosure of such materials, and full accountability for its contents, is owed to parents whose children have attended the CSE Programme. Such disclosure must include all instructor guides since these form the basis on which lessons conducted.

In the circumstances, we call on AWARE to:
1) Issue an unequivocal public apology to parents for its negligent or wilful non-compliance with MOE guidelines and take full responsibility for such breach;
2) Retract its statement that “we stand by our CSE programme”; and
3) Release all CSE Programme materials in the interest of full disclosure and accountability, as parents of children who attended the CSE programme have the right to know exactly how and what their children have been taught.

Perhaps AWARE has not had opportunity to fully reflect on the wisdom and implications of its recent press statements. If so, providing an appropriate response of contrition, responsibility and accountability towards parents as requested above will go far towards repairing public perception of AWARE and showing that AWARE is not unwilling to admit and learn from its mistakes.

Yours faithfully
(Signatures appended)

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/aware_to_apologise/

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.167

LHZB interview special with Dr. Thio Su Mien

LHZB interview special with Dr. Thio Su Mien

“Feminist Mentor” Dr. Thio Su Mien: The “coup” was accidental

The “coup” that occurred at AWARE’s AGM several weeks ago was actually an accident.

At least this was how Dr. Thio Su Mien perceived it.

At the AWARE AGM on March 28th, a twelve-member executive committee (exco) was voted in but the majority of the exco members, including Ms Josie Lau who later took over as president, were new and relatively unknown members. This provoked unease and dissatisfaction amongst the veteran members of AWARE; later, this also sparked a series of tussles between the old guard and new guard of AWARE.

However, Dr. Thio, widely perceived as the one who orchestrated this “coup”, in an interview with this newspaper, claimed that she did not expect the outcome of the AGM elections to result in a new guard taking over as the exco. She also claims that her encouraging of young women to join AWARE was aimed only at injecting new vitality into the organisation and to preserve the core family values of Singaporean society.

According to reports, AWARE’s membership numbers have, in recent years, been declining, reaching a low of 200 members at the end of last year. However, amongst those attending AWARE’s AGM on March 28th, only a minority was long-standing members of AWARE while the majority were new members who joined only shortly before the AGM.

According to Dr. Thio, if the long-standing members of AWARE had all attended the AGM, the new members “may not even have a single chance of winning a position, hence who can we blame for the outcome of the exco elections; even I was not expecting such an outcome”.

In a media report in April, it was revealed that Ms Josie Lau, the new AWARE president, along with another 5 new exco members are from the same church of Church of Our Saviour (COOS) while Dr. Thio is also a member of COOS and a mentor to Ms Lau and company. It was later revealed that Ms Lau is married to Dr. Thio’s nephew. All this were cited as proof of a well-orchestrated “coup” by Dr. Thio.

When reminded of this during the interview, Dr. Thio laughed and said: “If you say that I planned all this, I indeed was the one going around encouraging people I know to join AWARE. But all these people were mobilised at the last moment. Some amongst them did not know one another but only know me; some in fact are not that familiar with me. My purpose was: if you are able to, you should join this organisation and contribute to society”.

She added that if she was indeed the mastermind behind the whole thing, she would not be “as stupid as to find people from the same church”.

“If I really premeditated this, then I would be a real strategist; if so, I should organise a rainbow coalition like them (the old guard of AWARE). However, my thinking was very simple. But now thinking back, I was in fact rather foolish and naïve in my thinking. I never thought that the outcome will be this and that things will get so out of hand”.

On the April 23rd press conference held by the exco headed by Ms Lau, Dr. Thio was present to answer questions on behalf of the exco. At that press conference, Dr. Thio made statements about AWARE’s declining membership numbers, the proposed changes to its constitution to allow for male members to be eligible to vote. Her accusations about AWARE’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programme and about it promoting a homosexual lifestyle were also made at that press conference.

The AWARE saga later attracted more attention from outsiders and supporters of the old guard and this was because of Dr. Thio’s confession that she has been the mentor of the exco for several years and was the one who encouraged them to join AWARE. Also, it was revealed through online sources that Dr. Thio had, before the AGM, sent out mass emails criticising the CSE and encouraging people to vote for “reformers who want to be in charge”.

The question is: why didn’t this retired veteran lawyer personally run for a position on the AWARE exco if she was so concerned about the supposed direction the organisation was heading in?

Dr. Thio, who is already 71 years of age, explained that besides her age, another more important reason why she didn’t personally run for an exco position was that she felt that being a mentor, her responsibility was to nurture people who can make contributions to society and not try to glorify herself.

Similarly, it was because of her role as a mentor that Dr. Thio decided that it was necessary for her to present at the April 23rd press conference to defend Ms Lau and company.

Surprised at the anger and emotions at the EOGM

“I originally only planned to speak at the EOGM but when I saw the exco being lambasted, I felt that I have the responsibility, since I was the one who encouraged them to join AWARE and serve the interests of womenfolk and the nation, to be present at the press conference. I did not expect that they will be attacked and, even worse, that their lives, livelihood and businesses will also come under threat.”

The exco originally has no plans to hold a press conference and had wanted to wait till the EOGM to express their views.

“But”, said Dr. Thio, “the media was having a field day with the AWARE saga so we had to hold a press conference to clarify matters”.

Besides being surprised at the “coup”-like outcome of the AGM, Dr. Thio also expressed great surprise at the sudden increase in membership numbers for AWARE and the intensity of the emotions displayed at the EOGM on May 2nd.

During the 7 hours long EOGM, a scene which is perhaps most memorable to those present and those paying close attention to the happenings at the EOGM would be that of Dr. Thio proudly holding up a publication by AWARE to announce that she is on page 73 of the publication. This act was heavily criticised by the supporters of the old guard present at the EOGM. Dr. Thio’s attempts to rein in the noisy crowd by reminding them that they need to respect their elders also provoked a round of jeers.

Reminded about this during the interview, Dr. Thio expressed surprise: “I never thought that on the day of the EOGM, people’s emotions would be so intense, that the atmosphere will be so filled with anger”.

Nothing to be angry about

However, with regards to being unable to finish her speech due to the jeers, Dr. Thio said that there was nothing to be angry about.

“There is no need to be angry. Being angry will be like playing an old record non-stop”. Dr. Thio feels that if an individual is not able to let go, he or she will only cause him/herself to be trapped in the past and not be able to move on.

Hence, even though her remarks of “Please respect your elders” and “I am on page 73” was printed onto slogan t-shirts, Dr. Thio also laughed it off, saying: “This sort of design is quite interesting and can increase the income for the designer; I also want to buy one to take a look”.

As for what her future plans for herself and her “mentees” will be, Dr. Thio said: “Let’s talk about this after I return from a vacation! Perhaps taking a vacation will inspire me. And hopefully, the anger over this saga will dissipate and Josie will be able to continue using her strengths to contribute to society”.

Box story: “Homosexuality is a political movement”

Been keenly aware of the developments in homosexuality in Europe and North America, Dr. Thio firmly believes that there is a political movement promoting homosexuality. And the aims of this movement will include the de-criminalisation of anal sex. This may be witnessed in the attempts by individuals in Singapore to repeal Section 377A of the local Penal Code.

Dr. Thio said: “This is a significant point. Because if once the law is abolished or liberalised, homosexual activists will start to raise issues, such as marriage equality, education equality, and medical equality, to ask for funds from the government.”

In Finland, singles and lesbians are, with government subsidies, able to receive artificial insemination. This, according to Dr. Thio, will thus involve how taxpayers’ money should be used.

Dr. Thio also cited an example from Canada. According to her, there was a case in Canada in which a kindergarten teacher filed a lawsuit against the school management committee, accusing the committee for not including three books with contents about same-sex parents in the syllabus for kindergarten and primary one students. Although parents from different religious backgrounds, e.g. Hinduism, Sikhism, Catholicism and Christianity, supported the school management committee in the Canadian Supreme Court, the school management committee lose the case and had to put the three books into the school library.

She originally did not want this interview to be published

This interview with Dr. Thio almost did not get published.

Although she readily agreed to be interviewed one week ago, Dr. Thio later wanted to prevent this interview from being published.

As one of the central figures in the AWARE saga, Dr. Thio felt that Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng’s statement about the government stance on the AWARE saga and call for individual religious groups and secular organisations to be tolerant and exercise restraint already provided a very good conclusion to the AWARE saga. Thus, she did not want this interview to be published lest it stirs up emotions or polarise society.

Eventually, Dr. Thio was convinced to allow this interview to be published. This was because she knew that the focus of this interview will be the family values she espouses. As she said, one week ago, when she agreed to be interviewed: “If you all want to find out my views on family and values, then we may talk. But if you all want to talk about the AWARE saga, then forget about it”.

The interview was conducted at a restaurant in the Botanical Gardens. The day before the interview (6/5/2009), Dr. Thio attended the 150th anniversary dinner and dialogue session with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew organised by the Botanical Gardens; amazed by the beauty of the Botanical Gardens, Dr. Thio wanted us journalists to also experience it.

Dressed in a purple floral top and a long skirt, Dr. Thio looked markedly different and softer from how she looked like during the AWARE saga – serious and dressed in proper business attire. Without wasting any time, Dr. Thio proceeded to, through sharing one story after another, express her staunch belief in the core family values which she seeks to protect.

The first story was the “Chicken Egg” story, a story her daughter, Ms Thio Li-Ann, in conjunction with Mothers’ Day, wrote in The New Paper to express her gratitude towards Dr. Thio.

With regards to this story, Dr. Thio said: “I was in disrepute after the AWARE saga, thus I was very moved by Li-Ann’s use of this story to express her respect and support for me; it also shows that she still remembers the meaning behind the story”.

After the end of World War Two, Dr. Thio, who was then only 7 years of age, was visiting her grandmother’s hometown in Fujian along with her parents and siblings. Her relatives there, although they were very poor, will always present Dr. Thio and her family with a big bowl of noodles with an omelette placed on top. Seeing this, Dr. Thio’s father will remind her and her siblings to finish the noodles as although her relatives were poor, they offered them the best. This childhood lesson about respecting others that Dr. Thio’s father imparted to her was a memorable one to Dr. Thio which she later imparted to her own children.

Dr. Thio said: “My parents each had their own personalities and strengths and it was them who provided me with an environment that shaped my character and value system. Hence, I firmly believe that every child should be able to live and grow up in a family with full parental support. A family headed by a same-sex couple will find it difficult to provide children with a conducive environment to best grow up in”.

For the past 10 years and more, Dr. Thio has been involved in church counselling work and once, a father lamented to her that it is most unfortunate that a small golfing ball can alienate a father from his family. This lamentation by this father also illustrated to Dr. Thio the importance that parents have in their children’s lives and education.

“When my children were about 2 to 3 years old, my husband gave me a set of golfing equipment. I went to play a few rounds of golf but I realised that I was neglecting my children. Thus, I decided to throw the golfing equipment into the storeroom and brought my children out for swimming. In the years which I have been doing family counselling, I have also been encouraging parents to bring their children for swimming or cycling to strengthen the bonds between them and their children; don’t play golf. When it comes to discerning what is truly important, we often make mistakes”.

Witnessing the trends and changes in Europe and North America with regards to the family and gender relations, Dr. Thio was more convinced of the paramount importance of family education and that many societies, including Singapore, are facing challenges to their value systems.

Dr. Thio is especially worried about the erosion of values by a movement, originating in the West, that is challenging people’s belief in the family. And this movement, according to Dr. Thio, aims to “basically redefine the meaning of marriage, to redefine marriage as not only belonging to couples of different sexes but also to same-sex couples. This movement aims to legalise same-sex marriage and to redefine the traditional concept of the family”.

“This is a movement which constantly appeals to people to support it. You can recognise its existence but you cannot allow it to become part of the mainstream. Schools should have sex education but this should be done appropriately to preserve our core values about the family”.

And encouraging eligible women to serve and contribute to society is one way that Dr. Thio has been using to preserve the core values of Singaporean society. As the mentor of Ms Josie Lau and others, she often “nags” at them to be more concerned about society at large and “not to be only interested in fashion and handbags”.

This is basically why she encouraged them to join AWARE.

“We cannot depend on the schools and the government for everything. We all understand the need to seriously learn how to be good reporters and lawyers but this is not the case when it comes to learning how to be a good parent. If parents are only concerned their children’ academic grades and leave the rest to maids and society to handle, the family and society will collapse”.

In an interview that spanned 2 hours, two-thirds of the time was spent on discussing the importance of maintaining core values. As the interview came to an end, Dr. Thio said to us journalists: “If I had known you all earlier, I would perhaps also encouraged you all to join AWARE”.

“Why is it that everytime someone offers an opposing view to homosexuality, that person will receive death threats or have his/her livelihood threatened? Does this involve the use of politics of fear? Shouldn’t the media be concerned about this? Shouldn’t we be having a regulatory mechanism to ensure objective and fair reporting by the media?” – On the former exco of AWARE and herself receiving death threats during the AWARE saga

“I am very glad that now there are more people discussing about the issue of sex education and desiring a better vetting process to be put in place for sex education in schools. However, I am not sure how the Education Ministry will oversee the matter, as in how will they check on the teachers, who are crucial figures in sex education, who are teaching sex education? This point will need to be clarified.

Originally, the Education Ministry wanted me to produce evidence for my claims about there being parents complaining about sex education. However, the report in the April 24th edition of The Straits Times and my response letter to the Education Ministry have made it clear that I never said I received complaints from parents. Also, after investigations, the Education Ministry has publicly announced that some sex education programmes have contravened its guiding principles. This shows that my accusations were not inaccurate.

What is comforting is that the Education Ministry has decided to examine how it can enhance its vetting process for sex education. We should improve on the transparency and credibility of this process. A supervisory body should also be specially set up to communicate with and consult parents. Also, perhaps the vetting process should include placing relevant information online as a display of transparency?” – On the Education Ministry announcing on June 7th the suspension of sex education programmes provided by external organisations e.g. AWARE after its initial statement that it did not receive any complaints from parents

“The responsibility of a mentor is to nurture and groom them before allowing them to go out to contribute to society; to allow for the continued increase in the numbers of talented individuals. If you do not let young people to serve in leadership roles but do everything by yourself, this will be most inefficient.” – On why she did not personally run for a position on the AWARE exco

“50% of Singapore’s population consists of women; we actually have an abundance of talent. If we are able to have 10 Mrs. Lim Hwee Hua (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office), 50 Professor Chan Heng Chee (Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States) or 100 Olivia Lum (CEO of Hyflux), that will be a great blessing. There are two levels to this: firstly, on the societal level, we will need to help those women at the bottom of the social ladder to improve themselves and for those women who are better off, we will have to let them possess more skills and to inspire them to contribute more to society.

We will have to nurture more women leaders in different fields because CEDAW’s target is to have women have 30-35% representation in different fields. I, with my life experiences, should be able to contribute towards this endeavour.” – On why she encouraged more eligible women to join AWARE

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28024.408

Self-described feminist mentor's actions invited a reaction

Self-described feminist mentor's actions invited a reaction

I REFER to Monday's letter by Dr Thio Su Mien, 'Gay activists a key constituency of Aware'. I would like to highlight a number of statements she made that serve no purpose other than to confuse.

I am perplexed how Dr Thio can, in the same paragraph, say that Aware's Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) manual 'expressly states that homosexuality is neutral and normal', and then go on to attack the content of the CSE programme as 'non-neutral'.

But that is a minor point. What strikes me as most curious is how Dr Thio seems to have conveniently forgotten that anal sex between heterosexuals is legal when putting forth the argument that anal sex is against the law. It appears that she perceives anal sex as an activity only homosexuals are capable of, and in which heterosexuals would not engage.

Dr Thio has also chosen to view the support that 'sexually challenged women' provided to the old guard at the Aware extraordinary general meeting as a sinister indication that 'homosexual activists seeking to impose their values' have become a 'chief constituency of Aware'. She seems to have overlooked the fact that she and her feminist 'mentees' had made unfounded and moralistic attacks on an entire group of society while orchestrating an unjust takeover of a civil society group.

It is hard to imagine that Dr Thio, with her vast experience as a 'feminist mentor', did not expect sexual minorities to stand up and defend themselves. How then does she indicate statistically that homosexuals have become a 'chief constituency of Aware'?

However, I must agree with Dr Thio's assertion that discerning Singaporeans can examine the evidence to make up their own minds on this issue. Singaporeans are generally progressive and I am confident we are able to see past the smoke to inch towards a more inclusive and egalitarian society.

Tim Mou Hui

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28024.398

Schools should teach only biology of sex and leave morality of it to parents

Schools should teach only biology of sex and leave morality of it to parents

I REFER to last Wednesday's letter by Mr Warren Mark Liew, 'Instilling values a complex task'.

He questioned this assumption: 'All parents and teachers are sufficiently willing and able to teach their children the best values concerning gender and sexuality.'

As a full-time mother and a part-time educator in a polytechnic, I have this to say.

Just as I cannot be the best parent, and can only do my best, there are also no best values concerning gender and sexuality. There are only values I believe in, and these are the values I want to inculcate in my child.

As a parent, I am definitely willing and able to teach my child this set of values. I chose to be a stay-at-home mum to do just that. And I believe teachers should concentrate on the biology of sex education.

I do not deny the power of external influences. I only hope that over time, the values I have imbued in my child will take root, hold strong, and guide her in making informed decisions and facing the consequences of her decisions.

Meanwhile, I am here to censor. My child is only three years old and, at this point, I am still uncertain when I will lift the censorship. Based on my experience of working with 16- and 17-year-olds, I believe my child will still need my guidance when she reaches young adulthood.

My guidance will be in telling her - yes, you can definitely think for yourself now, but have you considered why you are thinking what you are thinking?

We do not need to worry that Internet-savvy young people are denied alternative views. We have to worry how and why they choose to adopt that particular value.

And when I say 'we', I am referring to parents, not teachers.

Pearlyn Koh (Ms)

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.161

LHZB interview special with Dr. Thio Su Mien

LHZB interview special with Dr. Thio Su Mien

“Feminist Mentor” Dr. Thio Su Mien: The “coup” was accidental

The “coup” that occurred at AWARE’s AGM several weeks ago was actually an accident.

At least this was how Dr. Thio Su Mien perceived it.

At the AWARE AGM on March 28th, a twelve-member executive committee (exco) was voted in but the majority of the exco members, including Ms Josie Lau who later took over as president, were new and relatively unknown members. This provoked unease and dissatisfaction amongst the veteran members of AWARE; later, this also sparked a series of tussles between the old guard and new guard of AWARE.

However, Dr. Thio, widely perceived as the one who orchestrated this “coup”, in an interview with this newspaper, claimed that she did not expect the outcome of the AGM elections to result in a new guard taking over as the exco. She also claims that her encouraging of young women to join AWARE was aimed only at injecting new vitality into the organisation and to preserve the core family values of Singaporean society.

According to reports, AWARE’s membership numbers have, in recent years, been declining, reaching a low of 200 members at the end of last year. However, amongst those attending AWARE’s AGM on March 28th, only a minority was long-standing members of AWARE while the majority were new members who joined only shortly before the AGM.

According to Dr. Thio, if the long-standing members of AWARE had all attended the AGM, the new members “may not even have a single chance of winning a position, hence who can we blame for the outcome of the exco elections; even I was not expecting such an outcome”.

In a media report in April, it was revealed that Ms Josie Lau, the new AWARE president, along with another 5 new exco members are from the same church of Church of Our Saviour (COOS) while Dr. Thio is also a member of COOS and a mentor to Ms Lau and company. It was later revealed that Ms Lau is married to Dr. Thio’s nephew. All this were cited as proof of a well-orchestrated “coup” by Dr. Thio.

When reminded of this during the interview, Dr. Thio laughed and said: “If you say that I planned all this, I indeed was the one going around encouraging people I know to join AWARE. But all these people were mobilised at the last moment. Some amongst them did not know one another but only know me; some in fact are not that familiar with me. My purpose was: if you are able to, you should join this organisation and contribute to society”.

She added that if she was indeed the mastermind behind the whole thing, she would not be “as stupid as to find people from the same church”.

“If I really premeditated this, then I would be a real strategist; if so, I should organise a rainbow coalition like them (the old guard of AWARE). However, my thinking was very simple. But now thinking back, I was in fact rather foolish and naïve in my thinking. I never thought that the outcome will be this and that things will get so out of hand”.

On the April 23rd press conference held by the exco headed by Ms Lau, Dr. Thio was present to answer questions on behalf of the exco. At that press conference, Dr. Thio made statements about AWARE’s declining membership numbers, the proposed changes to its constitution to allow for male members to be eligible to vote. Her accusations about AWARE’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programme and about it promoting a homosexual lifestyle were also made at that press conference.

The AWARE saga later attracted more attention from outsiders and supporters of the old guard and this was because of Dr. Thio’s confession that she has been the mentor of the exco for several years and was the one who encouraged them to join AWARE. Also, it was revealed through online sources that Dr. Thio had, before the AGM, sent out mass emails criticising the CSE and encouraging people to vote for “reformers who want to be in charge”.

The question is: why didn’t this retired veteran lawyer personally run for a position on the AWARE exco if she was so concerned about the supposed direction the organisation was heading in?

Dr. Thio, who is already 71 years of age, explained that besides her age, another more important reason why she didn’t personally run for an exco position was that she felt that being a mentor, her responsibility was to nurture people who can make contributions to society and not try to glorify herself.

Similarly, it was because of her role as a mentor that Dr. Thio decided that it was necessary for her to present at the April 23rd press conference to defend Ms Lau and company.

Surprised at the anger and emotions at the EOGM

“I originally only planned to speak at the EOGM but when I saw the exco being lambasted, I felt that I have the responsibility, since I was the one who encouraged them to join AWARE and serve the interests of womenfolk and the nation, to be present at the press conference. I did not expect that they will be attacked and, even worse, that their lives, livelihood and businesses will also come under threat.”

The exco originally has no plans to hold a press conference and had wanted to wait till the EOGM to express their views.

“But”, said Dr. Thio, “the media was having a field day with the AWARE saga so we had to hold a press conference to clarify matters”.

Besides being surprised at the “coup”-like outcome of the AGM, Dr. Thio also expressed great surprise at the sudden increase in membership numbers for AWARE and the intensity of the emotions displayed at the EOGM on May 2nd.

During the 7 hours long EOGM, a scene which is perhaps most memorable to those present and those paying close attention to the happenings at the EOGM would be that of Dr. Thio proudly holding up a publication by AWARE to announce that she is on page 73 of the publication. This act was heavily criticised by the supporters of the old guard present at the EOGM. Dr. Thio’s attempts to rein in the noisy crowd by reminding them that they need to respect their elders also provoked a round of jeers.

Reminded about this during the interview, Dr. Thio expressed surprise: “I never thought that on the day of the EOGM, people’s emotions would be so intense, that the atmosphere will be so filled with anger”.

Nothing to be angry about

However, with regards to being unable to finish her speech due to the jeers, Dr. Thio said that there was nothing to be angry about.

“There is no need to be angry. Being angry will be like playing an old record non-stop”. Dr. Thio feels that if an individual is not able to let go, he or she will only cause him/herself to be trapped in the past and not be able to move on.

Hence, even though her remarks of “Please respect your elders” and “I am on page 73” was printed onto slogan t-shirts, Dr. Thio also laughed it off, saying: “This sort of design is quite interesting and can increase the income for the designer; I also want to buy one to take a look”.

As for what her future plans for herself and her “mentees” will be, Dr. Thio said: “Let’s talk about this after I return from a vacation! Perhaps taking a vacation will inspire me. And hopefully, the anger over this saga will dissipate and Josie will be able to continue using her strengths to contribute to society”.

Box story: “Homosexuality is a political movement”

Been keenly aware of the developments in homosexuality in Europe and North America, Dr. Thio firmly believes that there is a political movement promoting homosexuality. And the aims of this movement will include the de-criminalisation of anal sex. This may be witnessed in the attempts by individuals in Singapore to repeal Section 377A of the local Penal Code.

Dr. Thio said: “This is a significant point. Because if once the law is abolished or liberalised, homosexual activists will start to raise issues, such as marriage equality, education equality, and medical equality, to ask for funds from the government.”

In Finland, singles and lesbians are, with government subsidies, able to receive artificial insemination. This, according to Dr. Thio, will thus involve how taxpayers’ money should be used.

Dr. Thio also cited an example from Canada. According to her, there was a case in Canada in which a kindergarten teacher filed a lawsuit against the school management committee, accusing the committee for not including three books with contents about same-sex parents in the syllabus for kindergarten and primary one students. Although parents from different religious backgrounds, e.g. Hinduism, Sikhism, Catholicism and Christianity, supported the school management committee in the Canadian Supreme Court, the school management committee lose the case and had to put the three books into the school library.

She originally did not want this interview to be published

This interview with Dr. Thio almost did not get published.

Although she readily agreed to be interviewed one week ago, Dr. Thio later wanted to prevent this interview from being published.

As one of the central figures in the AWARE saga, Dr. Thio felt that Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng’s statement about the government stance on the AWARE saga and call for individual religious groups and secular organisations to be tolerant and exercise restraint already provided a very good conclusion to the AWARE saga. Thus, she did not want this interview to be published lest it stirs up emotions or polarise society.

Eventually, Dr. Thio was convinced to allow this interview to be published. This was because she knew that the focus of this interview will be the family values she espouses. As she said, one week ago, when she agreed to be interviewed: “If you all want to find out my views on family and values, then we may talk. But if you all want to talk about the AWARE saga, then forget about it”.

The interview was conducted at a restaurant in the Botanical Gardens. The day before the interview (6/5/2009), Dr. Thio attended the 150th anniversary dinner and dialogue session with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew organised by the Botanical Gardens; amazed by the beauty of the Botanical Gardens, Dr. Thio wanted us journalists to also experience it.

Dressed in a purple floral top and a long skirt, Dr. Thio looked markedly different and softer from how she looked like during the AWARE saga – serious and dressed in proper business attire. Without wasting any time, Dr. Thio proceeded to, through sharing one story after another, express her staunch belief in the core family values which she seeks to protect.

The first story was the “Chicken Egg” story, a story her daughter, Ms Thio Li-Ann, in conjunction with Mothers’ Day, wrote in The New Paper to express her gratitude towards Dr. Thio.

With regards to this story, Dr. Thio said: “I was in disrepute after the AWARE saga, thus I was very moved by Li-Ann’s use of this story to express her respect and support for me; it also shows that she still remembers the meaning behind the story”.

After the end of World War Two, Dr. Thio, who was then only 7 years of age, was visiting her grandmother’s hometown in Fujian along with her parents and siblings. Her relatives there, although they were very poor, will always present Dr. Thio and her family with a big bowl of noodles with an omelette placed on top. Seeing this, Dr. Thio’s father will remind her and her siblings to finish the noodles as although her relatives were poor, they offered them the best. This childhood lesson about respecting others that Dr. Thio’s father imparted to her was a memorable one to Dr. Thio which she later imparted to her own children.

Dr. Thio said: “My parents each had their own personalities and strengths and it was them who provided me with an environment that shaped my character and value system. Hence, I firmly believe that every child should be able to live and grow up in a family with full parental support. A family headed by a same-sex couple will find it difficult to provide children with a conducive environment to best grow up in”.

For the past 10 years and more, Dr. Thio has been involved in church counselling work and once, a father lamented to her that it is most unfortunate that a small golfing ball can alienate a father from his family. This lamentation by this father also illustrated to Dr. Thio the importance that parents have in their children’s lives and education.

“When my children were about 2 to 3 years old, my husband gave me a set of golfing equipment. I went to play a few rounds of golf but I realised that I was neglecting my children. Thus, I decided to throw the golfing equipment into the storeroom and brought my children out for swimming. In the years which I have been doing family counselling, I have also been encouraging parents to bring their children for swimming or cycling to strengthen the bonds between them and their children; don’t play golf. When it comes to discerning what is truly important, we often make mistakes”.

Witnessing the trends and changes in Europe and North America with regards to the family and gender relations, Dr. Thio was more convinced of the paramount importance of family education and that many societies, including Singapore, are facing challenges to their value systems.

Dr. Thio is especially worried about the erosion of values by a movement, originating in the West, that is challenging people’s belief in the family. And this movement, according to Dr. Thio, aims to “basically redefine the meaning of marriage, to redefine marriage as not only belonging to couples of different sexes but also to same-sex couples. This movement aims to legalise same-sex marriage and to redefine the traditional concept of the family”.

“This is a movement which constantly appeals to people to support it. You can recognise its existence but you cannot allow it to become part of the mainstream. Schools should have sex education but this should be done appropriately to preserve our core values about the family”.

And encouraging eligible women to serve and contribute to society is one way that Dr. Thio has been using to preserve the core values of Singaporean society. As the mentor of Ms Josie Lau and others, she often “nags” at them to be more concerned about society at large and “not to be only interested in fashion and handbags”.

This is basically why she encouraged them to join AWARE.

“We cannot depend on the schools and the government for everything. We all understand the need to seriously learn how to be good reporters and lawyers but this is not the case when it comes to learning how to be a good parent. If parents are only concerned their children’ academic grades and leave the rest to maids and society to handle, the family and society will collapse”.

In an interview that spanned 2 hours, two-thirds of the time was spent on discussing the importance of maintaining core values. As the interview came to an end, Dr. Thio said to us journalists: “If I had known you all earlier, I would perhaps also encouraged you all to join AWARE”.

“Why is it that everytime someone offers an opposing view to homosexuality, that person will receive death threats or have his/her livelihood threatened? Does this involve the use of politics of fear? Shouldn’t the media be concerned about this? Shouldn’t we be having a regulatory mechanism to ensure objective and fair reporting by the media?” – On the former exco of AWARE and herself receiving death threats during the AWARE saga

“I am very glad that now there are more people discussing about the issue of sex education and desiring a better vetting process to be put in place for sex education in schools. However, I am not sure how the Education Ministry will oversee the matter, as in how will they check on the teachers, who are crucial figures in sex education, who are teaching sex education? This point will need to be clarified.

Originally, the Education Ministry wanted me to produce evidence for my claims about there being parents complaining about sex education. However, the report in the April 24th edition of The Straits Times and my response letter to the Education Ministry have made it clear that I never said I received complaints from parents. Also, after investigations, the Education Ministry has publicly announced that some sex education programmes have contravened its guiding principles. This shows that my accusations were not inaccurate.

What is comforting is that the Education Ministry has decided to examine how it can enhance its vetting process for sex education. We should improve on the transparency and credibility of this process. A supervisory body should also be specially set up to communicate with and consult parents. Also, perhaps the vetting process should include placing relevant information online as a display of transparency?” – On the Education Ministry announcing on June 7th the suspension of sex education programmes provided by external organisations e.g. AWARE after its initial statement that it did not receive any complaints from parents

“The responsibility of a mentor is to nurture and groom them before allowing them to go out to contribute to society; to allow for the continued increase in the numbers of talented individuals. If you do not let young people to serve in leadership roles but do everything by yourself, this will be most inefficient.” – On why she did not personally run for a position on the AWARE exco

“50% of Singapore’s population consists of women; we actually have an abundance of talent. If we are able to have 10 Mrs. Lim Hwee Hua (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office), 50 Professor Chan Heng Chee (Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States) or 100 Olivia Lum (CEO of Hyflux), that will be a great blessing. There are two levels to this: firstly, on the societal level, we will need to help those women at the bottom of the social ladder to improve themselves and for those women who are better off, we will have to let them possess more skills and to inspire them to contribute more to society.

We will have to nurture more women leaders in different fields because CEDAW’s target is to have women have 30-35% representation in different fields. I, with my life experiences, should be able to contribute towards this endeavour.” – On why she encouraged more eligible women to join AWARE

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