Khairul Nizam Sanuddin Sues 17-Year-Old For Defamation Over Rape Jokes He Allegedly Made
In filing the lawsuit, this is the first time the teacher has been publicly named.
By May Vin Ang — 01 Dec 2021, 12:13 PM
The teacher accused of making rape jokes in class has filed a defamation lawsuit against his student 17-year-old Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam for making the statement
According to a Facebook post by Ain's father Saiful Nizam Abdul Wahab, the former physical and health education teacher from SMK Puncak Alam, 43-year-old Khairul Nizam Sanuddin, filed the suit at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on 26 November.
Saiful Nizam shared a photo of Ain and himself with the front page of the court filing, where they are both named as defendants.
Malay Mail reported this is the first time the teacher has been publicly named. His identity was undisclosed until it appeared in the legal papers.
Previously in August, the same teacher had sent a letter of demand seeking RM1 million as compensation for the alleged defamatory remarks she made
Shortly after that, Ain and her lawyer said the family will countersue the man for RM5 million in damages for allegedly inflicting emotional distress.
According to Malaysiakini, a copy of the statement of claim shows that this time around, plaintiff Khairul Nizam is suing the father and daughter over three TikTok videos, three Twitter postings, and several other alleged defamatory actions such as interviews with the media purportedly done between 23 April and 26 June.
The teacher also claims that during the class session on 23 April, the one where Ain accused him of making a rape joke, he was teaching students about legal protection for children against sexual offences
"Furthermore, in ensuring students have a clearer understanding on the utilisation of the law, the plaintiff had also explained methods for self-defence if (one finds himself or herself) in situations involving sexual assault, sexual harassment, or rape," the plaintiff contended.
In April, Ain spoke about a teacher on TikTok who made jokes about rape in class, sparking a nationwide debate on sexual harassment and systemic misogyny in schools, as well as encouraging girls and women to share similar experiences.
In the viral TikTok video, Ain had quoted her teacher as saying: "If you want to rape someone, don't rape those under 18, rape those above 18."
According to the Federal Court of Malaysia online cause list, the suit is set for case management at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Thursday, 2 December.
Earlier, Ain received a rape threat from a classmate and was bullied by her school principal for speaking out against the teacher:
However, Ain's video has generally drew support from the public, creating awareness through the hashtag #MakeSchoolASaferPlace: