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SINGAPORE : They decided to "graciously resign" from the exco although they were not legally bound to do so, said the AWARE exco which lost a no-confidence vote at its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Saturday.
"We need not step down, but we considered it and came to the conclusion that for the sake of AWARE, we would step down," said Ms Maureen Ong who had been the honorary treasurer.
Wishing the new exco "all the best," AWARE president of less than two months Ms Josie Lau said she hopes AWARE will return to its original roots in accordance to its constitution and continue to contribute to the advancement of women.
The bitter leadership tussle between the two groups - made up of the old guards including those who were AWARE's founding members, and the new guards - had led to the no-confidence vote at the EGM.
At a post-EGM news conference, Ms Lau also responded to criticisms raised over the S$90,000 spent in the past month under her watch, of which S$23,000 went to renting the exhibition halls at the Suntec convention centre for Saturday's meeting.
Ms Lau said: "I am sure we are very above board in those expenditures, given the circumstances surrounding events in the last few days. We had to spend what was spent."
Going forward, Ms Charlotte Wong Hock Soon who stepped down as vice-president said she would be happy to contribute to AWARE in the area of education if invited to do so by the newly elected exco.
Ms Wong is a former sociology lecturer at the National University of Singapore. - TODAY
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