KUALA LUMPUR: The family of Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam have received overwhelming support after they received a letter of demand for the 17-year old student to apologise and pay monetary compensation worth RM1 million for defaming a teacher in her school.
Ain Husniza took to social media previously to create awareness on making schools a safer place, using the hashtag #MakeSchoolASaferPlace.
The letter, which they received yesterday, demanded for the 17-year-old student and her father, Saiful Nizam Abd Wahab to apologise and pay monetary compensation worth RM1 million for purportedly defaming the male teacher.
According to the letter, the duo have been given seven days to complete the demands, failing which, would result in further legal action against the family.
Speaking to the New Straits Times today, Saiful said the family is seeking their lawyers' advice before proceeding to the next step.
"We have been approached by several lawyers and legal firms who offered to help up, pro-bono.
"I am currently seeking advice from my lawyer and maybe we will form a team of pro-bono lawyers to handle this case.
"I've also been approached by a few individuals who have offered to help kickstart a crowdfunding campaign for Ain.
"However, I'm not used to such a campaign so I'm getting a second and third opinion about this, before deciding on the offer," he said.
"Ain is just a kid. We believe that what we did is right and it was not to create slander or defamation.
"Overall, we are overwhelmed with all that is currently happening, especially the support that we are getting.
"We are just an ordinary family, a B40 family so to get such a letter is worrying when it involves such a big amount of money," he said.
The family, Saiful said, has been struggling to stay afloat during this Covid-19 pandemic, with his wife having to take on a part-time job as a cleaner.
The former social media marketing trainer, who quit his job due to health issues, is currently working as an IT freelancer, offering services such as video editing service.
Ain Husniza made headlines in April this year after posting her experience during a school lesson involving a male teacher who allegedly made a rape joke, while in the presence of his students, both male and female.
The online post garnered attention both online and offline, and Ain received threats from the public via social media as well as from her classmates, including an alleged rape threat from a student.
She then lodged two police reports, with one against her classmates for their threats and another one against her school teacher for making a rape joke. The police then opened investigation papers against the teacher.
It was reported on May 9, that Ain Husniza said she received the first warning letter of her expulsion for her absence in school for three consecutive days.
On May 12, it was reported that the teacher has been transferred to the Selangor State Education Department and would remain there until police investigations against him are completed.
The Education Ministry has remained mum on the matter as the case is still under police investigation.