FED up with the attacks against him on social media, chess tournament director Sophian A. Yusuf will be initiating legal action against those who have allegedly defamed him, including several politicians.

Sophian said his lawyer Mohd Harris al-Hajj Abdullah will be sending letters of demand to those they have identified, including the politicians.

“We are compiling the list and my lawyer will be issuing the letters next week. I will be seeking an apology and compensation from those who have defamed me,” he said today at the Olympic Sports Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Sophian, who is the National Scholastic Chess Championships 2017 tournament director, had also lodged a police report saying Facebook account holders have twisted the incident involving a 12-year-old competitor.

The controversy began when the schoolgirl withdrew from the championship after being told by the organisers that her dress was “inappropriate”.

Sophian refused to name the politicians who he claimed had defamed him.

He reiterated that he will continue to deny all the allegations against him on Facebook.

He especially singled out the schoolgirl’s coach Kaushal Khandhar, saying that he will be the first to receive the letter of demand.

“Even after denying all the allegations, the issue is persisting.

“I have to come to a decision that taking legal action is the only way to clear my name.”

Harris said they have identified four people who be will be receiving the letters of demand.

“Kaushal will be the first and the list can even go up to 10 people. This incident has not only gone viral here, even Washington Post picked it up.

“My client has not only been embarrassed and slandered in Malaysia but all over the world,” he said.

As for the politicians, Harris said they had used the issue for their own political agenda.

“The politicians have used the issue to make populist statements for their own political survivial.

“They should instead be focusing on issues affecting the people,” he said.

Harris also claimed that pictures taken of the 12-year-old in the tournament and Facebook were completely different.

“One is showing the skirt above the knee and other is below the knee. It looks like the evidence on the Internet was doctored and tailored to make it look bad.”

Harris said the Internet picture of the skirt on the girl looked longer.

“Who took the picture on the Internet I don’t know. But, tournament pictures which were taken by a professional photographer showed the skirt was higher than the knee, which was against the regulations.

“It’s a school venue and school has its own dress code, which must be below the knee.”

Asked for the pictures, Harris said that Sophian had the pictures and it was evidence so they can’t show it to the press.

The Malaysian Insight learnt that the girl’s coach and mother have also hired lawyers but this could not be confirmed as both have refused to take calls or answer text messages. It was the coach who highlighted the issue on social media.

According to Malaysian Chess Federation, the 12-year-old player was not forced to withdraw from the tournament because of “indecent dressing” but had done so on her own accord.

It was reported that the girl was midway playing her game in the second round at the National Scholastic 2017 chess tournament held in Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah, Putrajaya, from April 14-16, when she was informed of her “inappropriate” dressing. – May 10, 2017.