Saga

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.

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.

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.

The newcomers running for election at AWARE unsettle older members with their strangely hollow stump 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. And what seemed like a rejuvenating injection of new blood is looking more and more like a coup.

28 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.

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. The first two episodes premiere on 9 December 2020.