An analysis of Singapore’s aware case

James, K; Grant, BJ; Leung, JK-S

An analysis of Singapore’s aware case

James, K Grant, BJ

Leung, JK-S

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Publisher:: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Jebat : Malaysian Journal of History, Politics and Strategic Studies, 2013, 40 (2), pp. 1 - 23
Issue Date:: 2013

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	James, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Grant, BJ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8055-6046	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Leung, JK-S	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Jebat : Malaysian Journal of History, Politics and Strategic Studies, 2013, 40 (2), pp. 1 - 23	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0126-5644	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/116309
dc.description.abstract	Our case involves the women’s group Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), founded on 25 November 1985, which has proven itself to be a tireless long-term campaigner for women’s rights in Singapore. In this ‘AWARE case’, the executive committee of AWARE was surreptitiously taken over by fundamentalist Christian women from Church of Our Saviour at AWARE’s 28 March 2009 Annual General Meeting. In the second phase of this saga, the Extraordinary General Meeting on 2 May 2009 led to the secular ‘Old Guard’ recapturing AWARE and the Church of Our Saviour group being removed from power. This AWARE case shows the rise in power of fundamentalist Protestant Christianity within Singapore and its growing influence upon English-educated Chinese-Singaporeans. The fact that this upper middle-class demographic traditionally has supported the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) is probably one key reason why the government decided not to intervene in this particular case as part of ‘the more consultative style of government’ first introduced by former PM Goh Chok Tong. The PAP government’s non-intervention in the takeover and recapture is extremely significant given its past record of authoritarian micro-management of dissent and oppositional opinions. It suggests more freedom for some NGOs in the contemporary era of Lee Hsien Loong’s prime-ministership. Significantly, PAP may be splitting into ‘reformist’ and ‘hardline’ factions headed by, respectively, Lee Hsien Loong and the MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Mr Wong Kan Seng	en_US
dc.publisher	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Jebat : Malaysian Journal of History, Politics and Strategic Studies	en_US
dc.title	An analysis of Singapore’s aware case	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	40	en_US
utslib.for	1605 Policy and Administration	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/lnstitute for Public Policy and Governance
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - IPPG - Institute for Public Policy and Governance
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	40	en_US

Abstract:

Our case involves the women’s group Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), founded on 25 November 1985, which has proven itself to be a tireless long-term campaigner for women’s rights in Singapore. In this ‘AWARE case’, the executive committee of AWARE was surreptitiously taken over by fundamentalist Christian women from Church of Our Saviour at AWARE’s 28 March 2009 Annual General Meeting. In the second phase of this saga, the Extraordinary General Meeting on 2 May 2009 led to the secular ‘Old Guard’ recapturing AWARE and the Church of Our Saviour group being removed from power. This AWARE case shows the rise in power of fundamentalist Protestant Christianity within Singapore and its growing influence upon English-educated Chinese-Singaporeans. The fact that this upper middle-class demographic traditionally has supported the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) is probably one key reason why the government decided not to intervene in this particular case as part of ‘the more consultative style of government’ first introduced by former PM Goh Chok Tong. The PAP government’s non-intervention in the takeover and recapture is extremely significant given its past record of authoritarian micro-management of dissent and oppositional opinions. It suggests more freedom for some NGOs in the contemporary era of Lee Hsien Loong’s prime-ministership. Significantly, PAP may be splitting into ‘reformist’ and ‘hardline’ factions headed by, respectively, Lee Hsien Loong and the MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Mr Wong Kan Seng

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/116309