Commentary by Mustafa K Anuar

IT is outrageous that schoolgirl Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, who called out a male teacher for cracking lewd jokes in class, was instead reportedly threatened with expulsion by the school principal if she continued to skip school.

Ain has not been going to school out of fear for her own safety, especially after receiving a rape threat from one of her classmates, which is indicative of a rape culture thriving in our educational institutions.

The warning of expulsion to Ain sends the wrong signal not only to students, but also to teachers, as well as the rest of our society.

For one, it is tantamount to punishing a victim of sexual harassment while letting the alleged perpetrators, particularly the teacher concerned, go scot-free.

It’s simply mind-boggling that no action has so far been taken against the teacher. If there’s been any, transferring him to another school, for instance, would not be a bright idea as this merely shifts the problem to another school.

As rightly pointed out by Ain, the school’s action towards her goes against what she has been taught in school all this while, which is to call out misdemeanours and try to right what is morally wrong.

Ain should have been applauded by the school, as many right-thinking members of our society – including gold medal diving winner Pandelela Rinong – has done, for having the gumption to stand up for what is right not only for herself but also others who are in a vulnerable position.

The school need not fear of being seen as soiling its own public image if it stood in solidarity with Ain. On the contrary, it would place itself on a higher moral ground because it would be perceived as being bold enough to be on the side of justice.

Mind you, the courageous teenager has helped to expose the dirt that has been swept under the proverbial carpet all these years. Responsible and concerned Malaysians cannot and should not look the other way.

She deserves our wholehearted support in her hour of need because the challenges she is confronted with are immense and energy-sapping.

The 17-year-old is up against age-old patriarchy, sexism, religious stereotyping and cyberbullying. This is apart from a seemingly less responsive Education Ministry.

She has already been cruelly branded as a “child of the devil wearing a headscarf” (anak setan pakai tudung) by a Facebook user recently. We can do without a holier-than-thou attitude here as the educational milieu is toxic enough.

The wicked comments made on social media about Ain says volumes about the superficial notion of morality that has been bandied about by certain quarters so that evil deeds, such as corruption and the betrayal of public trust that cause havoc to society, are willingly taken in their stride or simply ignored.

Demonising a conscientious student in this manner unnecessarily diverts public attention away from a repulsive social problem. If there’s a takeaway from this incident, it is the time-tested adage “do not judge a book by its cover”.

This grave matter has to be addressed immediately and adequately as it affects Ain’s future as well as that of other students who seek justice and moral reparation.

It’s about time we make school a safer place. – May 9, 2021.