By Wong Kim Hoh

A DAY after becoming president of Singapore's leading women's group, Ms Josie Lau found herself in hot water at work.

DBS Bank, where she is a vice-president, is conducting an internal review over how she disregarded its advice against taking on the top post at the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).

On Wednesday night, shortly after Ms Lau, 48, announced that she was the new president, the bank issued a statement making clear that it had told her not to take that position.

The public rebuke shocked not only Aware members who have been dealing with a string of dramatic events recently, but also others who thought it unfair for the bank to say Ms Lau had too much on her plate at work to take on a voluntary position.

Yesterday, DBS Bank revealed that Ms Lau - its vice-president for consumer banking group cards and unsecured loans - had breached its staff code of conduct twice in recent weeks.

She did not tell the bank before running for a spot on the Aware executive committee, revealing that only two weeks after the March 28 annual general meeting (AGM). Yet, the bank decided to support her carrying on as an Aware exco member.

That AGM saw Aware's leadership change unexpectedly when a group of new members showed up and defeated veterans.

Then new president Claire Nazar quit suddenly.

Ms Lau did not tell DBS that she was keen to assume the post.

DBS said it was only on Wednesday afternoon - just hours before the exco was due to pick the new president - that she made known her intentions.

'We reviewed her request and subsequently informed her that while the bank continued to support her involvement in Aware, we could not support her intention to run for president, given the demands associated with the top post of a leading advocacy group in Singapore,' a spokesman said.

DBS is upset that Ms Lau ignored a code of conduct that applied to all staff.

'We are disappointed that Josie knowingly disregarded DBS' staff code of conduct twice. Such an attitude is not one that DBS, or any other organisation, can condone in a leader,' the spokesman said.

Ms Lau was uncontactable yesterday. Exco member Lois Ng said Ms Lau was the only Aware official allowed to respond to media queries, but she was going through 'a difficult period'.

The turn of events left some incredulous Aware members asking if they would witness the election of a third new president soon.

Former Aware vice-president Margaret Thomas thought Ms Lau might now have to choose between her job and Aware.

She found DBS' public rebuke of Ms Lau most unusual and it made her wonder. 'Are there any other reasons for DBS to be concerned about her prominent role at Aware?' she asked.

The leadership change at Aware has created a buzz, with concerns over what the new team is planning and its views on various issues, including homosexuality.

Last year, DBS Bank drew protests from some customers upset that it had chosen the group Focus on the Family as the beneficiary for a charity drive.

Customers pointed out that the charity, and its American parent body, took a conservative Christian stand against abortion and homosexuals.

The Straits Times learnt this week that Ms Lau's division was given the job of recommending a charity for DBS to support. Neither she nor the bank would comment on that.

Meanwhile, a group of Aware veterans have called for an extraordinary general meeting (EOGM), possibly to table a vote of no confidence in the new leadership.

And last night, The Straits Times learnt that former Nominated Member of Parliament and two-term Aware president Braema Mathi had been told by the new team that she was no longer in charge of a committee working on a report about women in Singapore.

Ms Thomas said: 'Every day, there are more and more questions and the new team has yet to clear the air or speak to members. It's now even more pressing that we have the EOGM.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.