PETALING JAYA: In conjunction with the Mother’s Day celebration, Niza Sharifudin, the mother of 17-year-old Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, has come out in support of her daughter’s efforts to make schools a safer place, as she urged parents to always believe in their children.
Niza, who spoke in a Mother’s Day forum organised by Khadijah Learning Centre with Ain on Sunday (May 9), also said that it is vital for parents to be a pillar of support for their children.
“Believe in your children. Because if they cannot complain to you, then who should they go to? If we don’t trust our children, then who else should they trust?
“So trust your children. As parents, we must also look after their safety, ” she said.
Admitting that she isn’t as strong as Ain and her husband Saiful Nizam Ab Wahab, Niza said she has been very worried for Ain, as the 17-year-old has since received many threats after she spoke out against a male PE teacher for making a distasteful joke about rape.
“I’m always worried about her safety after all these threats. I may not be as strong as her, but what is wrong, is wrong.
“For that, I believe in her and I support her.”
Describing herself as a “normal mother”, Niza said that Ain, as the eldest daughter in the family, had shared the responsibility with her in terms of caring for the family.
“When I’m not at home, Ain will care for the siblings. If I’m working, she will be cooking.”
Niza emphasized that trust, kindness and cooperation, are the qualities that she instils in her family.
“If it’s wrong, we tell them it’s wrong. If it’s right, then we praise them.”
Niza also said that she used to be a housewife in the past, but recently rejoined the workforce after Ain’s father fell sick.
At the same time, Niza said it is very important for schools to be a safe place so parents can have peace of mind when they send their children to school.
“I want schools where we can put trust in the teachers and make our students feel safe, ” she added.
Ain, who spoke alongside her mother, said it is disappointing that the Education Ministry hasn’t reached out to her since the incident made rounds on social media.
“Right now, we are getting a lot of support from kids my age and I’m overwhelmed. It’s also surprising to see how the Education Ministry hasn’t responded or reached out to me personally.”
Ain also advised her peers to be brave and open to criticisms, adding that it is important for youths to build their inner strength so that they can stand up against injustice.
“Fortunately, I have enough inner strength against the backlash.”
Ain also said that many students have since reached out to her after her TikTok video went viral, as she thanked everyone for their support towards her.
“Many students told me they went through the same thing and it makes me wonder that this is such a big issue in society.
“We need to end this now and we need to make sure that this issue is resolved.”
Earlier on Sunday (May 9), Ain had said she received her first warning notice of expulsion from school, for being absent for three days.
The warning letter came about despite her father Saiful Nizam having met with the school authorities to explain that his daughter did not feel safe in school.
Ain had made headlines after she uploaded a TikTok video detailing a male PE teacher as making distasteful jokes about rape in class, with the hashtag #MakeSchoolASaferPlace trending on social media.
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