Media report on SFD AGM
3 film-makers at helm of civil society group
(Cassandra Chew, Straits Times, 30 April 2010)
FILM-MAKERS now hold three of the four key posts in the fledgling civil society group Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD).
They are Mr Martyn See, who is its executive secretary; Mr Seelan Palay, its communications director; and Mr Ho Choon Hiong, its finance director.
The group's executive director is Dr James Gomez, a former Workers' Party member now based in Melbourne, where he teaches public relations at Monash University. He plans to continue living in Australia.
The SFD held its inaugural annual general meeting last night, exactly a year after submitting its registration application to the Registry of Societies (ROS).
The non-governmental organisation received the nod from the ROS on Feb 3 this year.
Last night's closed-door meeting was attended by 12 people, said Dr Gomez. They included three women.
Members also approved the motion to start a bank account for the group.
Funds raised through membership fees and pledges from donors will be channelled towards funding its activities.
Although specific events have not yet been planned, Mr See said they will be neither anti- nor pro-government in nature, but will focus on advocating democracy.
Absent from last night's meeting were three pro-tem committee members who decided not to take up SFD membership, said Dr Gomez.
They are lawyer Chia Li Tik, who stood for elections in East Coast GRC in 2006 on a Workers' Party ticket; graduate student Ng E-Jay; and political activist Jufri Salim.
The SFD is gazetted as a political association under the Political Donations Act. Another such group is Think Centre.
The Act, which came into effect on Feb 15, 2001, bans political parties and associations from receiving foreign donations.
It is in line with the Government's longstanding stance that politics in Singapore should be for Singaporeans only.
The Elections Department has requested SFD to submit its financial returns by May 3. The group says it has not received any donations so far.
SFD has also launched a Facebook campaign to remove the race category on Singapore identity cards.
Read here for the AGM Report by Pro-tem President and here for the 'I want to remove Race from my IC' Facebook group.
