In his application sighted by FMT, federal counsel Muhairi Mohamed Noh said he was withdrawing from representing the teacher, Khairul Nizam Sanuddin, after finding the latter having a lawyer, and due to an “overlap of representation”.

However, the government did not withdraw its representation for former headmistress Sarimah Mohammed Nor, as requested by Ain earlier.

Ain Husniza and her father, Saiful Nizam Ab Wahab, had objected to government lawyers representing Khairul and Sarimah, as they had sued and were being countersued in their personal capacities.

In their application, they also claimed the federal counsel’s action to act for the ex-headmistress was wrong, as she was no longer a public servant at the time the suit was filed.

Khairul, 43, sued Ain and her father for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him on social media and through press interviews later.

In response, the duo filed a countersuit against Khairul, where they also named Sarimah, Selangor education director Anismah M Noh, education minister Radzi Jidin, and the federal government as defendants.

The countersuit against them was, among others, for tort of intentionally inflicting emotional distress over rape jokes allegedly made during a physical education class at the school and in the aftermath.

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