KUALA LUMPUR – While Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam is forced to seek safety at home after speaking out against her teacher’s rape jokes, the latter and another student, who allegedly made rape threats against her, roam the school freely.
Such is the injustice that Ain is calling for a total reform to what she describes as a flawed and corrupt education system.
In a Facebook Live hosted by comedian Harith Iskander this evening, Ain bemoaned how a teacher who trivialises rape is being allowed to conduct classes as usual, with seemingly no action taken by the school.
Similarly, her schoolmate, whose voice recording of him threatening to rape Ain went viral recently, has also not been slapped with any action.
“I’m not going to school at the moment, because of the rape threats I received. But the boy is still in school. The school is also still allowing the teacher to teach. I don’t understand why.
“It’s known that this teacher has been going to classes trying to manipulate the students into making them feel sorry for him, and that apparently I was slandering him. To me, letting him stay in school is very irresponsible.”
Ain, who inspired the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace movement, said the perpetrators should take accountability for their actions, and vowed not to let the matter slide easily.
“I will forgive them, but they need to be taught these are not acceptable behaviours,” she said.
Ain made headlines recently after she posted a TikTok video alleging a male teacher had made rape jokes in class, sending shockwaves throughout the country, as other Malaysians started to demand better safety and security for students.
She has lodged a police report against the teacher for the rape remark as well as the rape threats she received, although it is understood the latter’s report has been dropped after the schoolmates and their families apologised to Ain’s family.
Ain said this recent incident has highlighted the urgent need for reforms in the education system, suggesting several amendments be made to the current policy.
Among others, she proposed that all teachers be required to sit for a morality exam, to ensure they are in the right moral condition to educate students.
Additionally, Ain said it is incumbent of the government to provide teachers with proper sex education, and educate them about what constitutes sexual harassment.
“There is no way that a teacher, while teaching sex education, could make a sexual remark. Please take strict action against them. We need to teach them that this is never acceptable in society and that we will not tolerate it.”
Describing the problem as just the tip of the iceberg, Ain expressed hope that she would be able to speak with representatives of the United Nations, to highlight this issue at the global level.
“I know this issue isn’t just exclusive to Malaysia. Imagine if we can bring the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace movement forward and reform the education system all over the world.”
Asked to comment on claims that she was only seeking attention with her recent exposé, Ain said: “Yes, I guess it’s true, I am attention-seeking, because this needs attention. It is being normalised in Malaysia, and it is wrong.” – The Vibes, May 1, 2021
