KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 ― Teenager Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam’s lawyer Datuk David Sankara Nair said they will countersue her former teacher for RM5 million for emotional distress.
He was accompanying the 17-year-old student and her father at the Sungai Buloh police headquarters where she was to give her statement after the teacher filed a letter of demand (LOD) including RM1 million compensation for alleged defamation.
Several MPs including R. Sivarasa, Maria Chin Abdullah and Teresa Kok were also there.
Sankara said they will send their own LOD next Monday and explained that the legal action was for the emotional distress the teacher allegedly caused to the student in the episode.
Earlier, he said the teacher’s report against Ain was lodged three months ago under Section 504 of the Penal Code, for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace, which was punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
Former deputy minister Sivarasa went on to insist that the Education Ministry take action against the teacher, saying failure to do so would be to condone the alleged misconduct.
Ain triggered controversy in April after complaining on TikTok that a teacher had joked about rape, sparking a nationwide debate on sex education and systemic misogyny as well as prompting others girls and women to share similar experiences.
In May, the Education Ministry announced that the teacher involved in Ain’s incident would be transferred to the Selangor Education Department pending a related police investigation.
The controversy was renewed this week when Ain revealed that the teacher was suing her and that she was also being called in for the police report he filed against her.
Earlier this week, Sungai Buloh police chief Superintendent Shafa’aton Abu Bakar reportedly said the deputy public prosecutor in charge of the teacher’s case has decided that it required no further action.
