Why the threat of RM1mil suit against Ain Husniza?

 

Is there a more sinister reason for the demand of a RM1 million compensation by a teacher whom Form 5 student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam alleged had made rape jokes during lessons at a  school?

Could the real reason be to deter other students from reporting such cases of sexual abuse, or to scare those who have experienced or who may go through the same trauma from speaking out?

It is easier to do nothing than to deal with the mess of charging alleged perpetrators, gathering evidence and prosecuting them. It is hoped that suing Ain Husniza was not to make an example of her and to teach her and others a lesson.

Sadly, there are many girls in schools and universities who are groped on a regular basis, touched and asked to perform acts which no responsible adult would subject others to.

This is the plight of many women in Malaysia. Most rape threats and sexual advances, whether at work, in school or university or in the home, do not get past the reporting stage – if they are reported.

After the publicity and threats that Ain Husniza faced, would any girl want to go through the same harassment and social media bullying that she faced? The authorities acted as if they disbelieved her. In the end, anyone going through a similar experience, or worse, will simply have to suffer in silence.

Incredibly, the police assigned to investigate Ain Husniza’s case were reported to have joked that she should be able to take a teasing remark.

An individual who has not been named has now threatened to sue Ain Husniza if she does not pay up or make an apology.

By right, he should have been named. Let him feel a bit of the torrent of social media abuse that his victim has suffered. If he does take Ain Huzniza to court, his name will be named in the public records.

Many women have shown courage in coming forward, so why is our media reluctant to publish the names of perpetrators in such cases? Is it a case of innocent until proven guilty?

More importantly, why have education minister Radzi Jidin, women, family and community development minister Rina Harun, and youth and sports minister Reezal Merican kept silent? Do they not care? Why are they allowing this culture of intimidation against students?

The ministers are clueless and do not know how to handle the situation. They would prefer to stick their heads in the sand.

Is the state afraid to censure and investigate the allegations because teachers are civil servants who make up a sizeable number of voters?

Civil servants also send their children to school. What would happen if their daughter or son was sexually abused? Is this the sort of environment that parents and students want in school? No wonder we have a society that does not care, because problems like these are not nipped in the bud.

Where are the voices of condemnation from the teachers’ unions, the parent-teachers associations, the civil servants’ union and the academia?

If the government cannot protect the most vulnerable in our society, how can it claim it wants to save Malaysia? - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.