4.30am

Had a pleasant day that took me to places from Portsdown to Dover to Dempsey to Chinatown to Orchard and to the Pier. Many charming sights and then there's the rare blue sky to boot. But alas, Im out of camera action this weekend - and for the week to come - because both my cameras have been lent to others who have gone overseas to have fun while i remain behind in singapore the tiny town. Had an overdose of chocolate, both eaten and drunk. Also had a cup of cuppacino which i suspect is the reason why im still awake at 2.45am (it just poured and there's still lightning and rumbles of thunder), though i felt very tired at midnight sitting at a cafe.

But truth be told, i came online to read about how the AWARE EOGM had turned out. The whole episode has been instructive on a few matters, the most significant in my opinion are: new media, its impact and role as tool for (social) mobolisation; and civil society and people activism. GE 2006 did demonstrate the impact of the new media and, correspondingly, the constraints of mainstream media. But i daresay this aware epiosode went further to throw into sharp relief how new media has become a politically important tool and authority of information that shaped and galvanised opinions and action. Once again it shows the speed at which information is being transmitted via new media, and how new media is effectively used by passionate and well-meaning citizens as the stage to repudiate untruths, scrutinise the people and arguments at the centre of the storm, and mobolise support.

The proceedings at the EOGM itself were captured by the public and reported live, while the broadcast media were apparently barred from entering the premises. This was just one thing. A separate website was set up by the old guard after their ouster, and a video exhorting support was put up at the website - all this done within the past few weeks. A university lecturer, a 'bible-beliving christian for 25 years now', posted a note about his views on Facebook; that became circulated online and was also mentioned in the press. It was remarkable because it was a thoughtful piece by someone in a well-regarded position in society that was posted on Facebook and subsequently circulated around. These voices of reason - along with numerous other analyses online - served to marshal public opinion, even if public opinion was probably confined to only a particular segment of society - those who are generally more educated and already active online. The new media also allowed citizens to engage each other and present their opinions without the burden of speaking out on a public platform such as the print media. (A scan of some of these postings would tell that many commentators, though anonymous, are highly educated and intelligent folks who shared insightful thoughts.)

More importantly, what came across rather strongly, I thought, was not the sensitive issue of religion; nor was it christianity per se, nor homosexuality, nor even AWARE itself. I thought the whole episode showed how a perceived sense of social injustice, so to speak, was keenly felt, pursued and 'righted' by passionate and concerned citizens who effectively mobilised new media to galvanise support. That the old guard eventually triumphed (on the basis of the eogm) showed that it was reason, a sense of justice, and the strength of their arguments that prevailed - this was demonstrated through what emerged in both new and old media over the course of events leading to yesterday's eogm.

Emotions had run high, but they were not without the company of reason and well-meaning thought.