Student Who Exposed Rape Culture In Malaysian Schools Hit With RM1 Million Defamation Suit
Ain Husniza said that she received the letter of demand while she was in an online class.
By Sadho Ram — 04 Aug 2021, 06:36 PM — Updated almost 3 years ago
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Editor's note: The story has been updated with a statement from the student's father.
Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, the 17-year-old secondary school student who has sparked a nationwide debate on sex education in Malaysian schools, says she has been hit with RM1 million defamation suit
Taking to her Twitter account earlier today, 4 August, the Form 5 student tweeted to say that she received a letter of demand while she was in an online class for "defamatory statements".
"In the letter, I was given seven days to respond to the demands, including to settle RM1,000,000 in damages," read the tweet that has since gone viral across the platform.
In April this year, Ain had taken to social media to expose her teacher for making rape jokes during a physical and health education class
Since then, the 17-year-old has become a prominent name in the fight to #MakeSchoolASaferPlace in the country that has seen her receiving death as well as rape threats.
While there has been an outpouring of support for Ain, there has also been a barrage of criticism against her. One such detractor is alleged to be the principal at Ain's school.
The principal called Ain a "hypocrite", "Satan's spawn wearing a headscarf", and told Ain's parents to "educate her with manners", according to screenshots showing problematic comments.
Meanwhile, amidst widespread criticism from the public over its silence and treatment of the student who exposed the matter, the Ministry of Education (MOE) finally transferred the male teacher in May.
Ain's father, Saiful Nizam, told this SAYS writer that the letter of demand is from the teacher accused of making the rape joke
"The letter is from the teacher from Ain's previous school," he told us over text messages.
Saiful, however, added that Ain never identified the teacher or mentioned the school's name.
"Currently, we are seeking advice from our lawyers on how to handle this issue. The letter addresses three names that include me, my wife, and my daughter Ain," he shared.
