Girl in dress row gets public support as organiser disputes claim

PETALING JAYA: Support has been pouring in from the public for the 12-year-old girl who was forced to pull out of a chess championship in Putrajaya after the tournament director alleged the dress she was wearing was improper, “deemed seductive” and “a temptation from a certain angle, far, far away”.

However, the organiser is reported to be disputing the girl’s complaint.

Her mother Chin Wai Ling said her daughter was aware of what was happening and was happy she did the right thing.

“A lot of people have been posting their support on Facebook,” said Chin yesterday.

At the National Scholastic Chess Championship 2017 on April 14, the girl was told mid-game by the chief arbiter that her knee-length, short-sleeved dress was “improper” and not allowed to wear a similar dress for the next round.

Feeling harassed and humiliated, the girl, who is the Kuala Lumpur district chess champion, withdrew from the tournament.

“However, she’s not traumatised by the incident. Girls these days are very strong,” Chin said.

She added that she had not received a formal apology from the tournament director and he did not reply to her e-mail.

“I hope I get my apology soon,” she said.

Taking to Twitter, moderation advocate Anas Zubedy urged the Government to do a check on the officer who found the girl’s outfit revealing and “see if he is fit to be around children”.

“It’s a serious situation when adults think of sex when the child is only 12 and wearing a non-revealing outfit,” Anas said.

He said the debate should not be about whether the girl’s outfit was revealing but whether such men should be allowed to be around children.

The tournament director told The Star that the organiser would refrain from making a further statement until the investigation was completed.