SEVEN lawyers will hold a watching brief for the family of Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim in the inquest to determine the truth behind the fireman’s death.
The inquest, which begins at the Shah Alam coroner’s court today, is being held as there were no conclusive findings in the probe into how Adib sustained injuries during riots outside the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor, last November.
Police investigations revealed that there could be two possibilities as to what caused the 24-year-old’s death: either he was beaten by a mob or was run over by a fire truck.
Despite regaining consciousness and showing signs of recovery, Adib’s lung functions deteriorated, and he succumbed to injuries on December 17, three weeks after he was hospitalised.
Adib’s father, Mohd Kassim Abdul Hamid, told The Malaysian Insight that he hopes there will be no cover-up of the events leading to his death.
The family just want the truth to be revealed, he said.
The Malaysian Bar and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia are also holding a watching brief.
The inquest, before coroner Rofiah Mohamad, will see 30 witness provide evidence over a 52-day period.
The Malaysian Insight is reporting the proceedings live.
4.50pm: EMRS driver Shahril says the fireman Hazim was allegedly attacked by the group.
He says he didn’t see Hazim and didn’t know where he had gone.
“In the chaos the truck started to reverse and knocked the EMRS. The truck also pushed the EMRS back.”
He says that a group came on the right side of the EMRS with helmets.
“Adib was in the vehicle. One hand was on the dashboard and the other on the armrest.
“He was looking in front (at the commotion).”
5pm: The inquest will resume tomorrow with a site visit to the scene.
4.45pm: The DPP asks Shahril where he parked upon arriving at the scene.
He says 2m from the fire truck.
The DPP asks him what he saw.
He says he saw a large crowd on both his left and right, and a burning car.
“I also saw one fireman exit the truck from the right to get to the left locker, where the hose reel is located.”
4.30pm: The inquest calls the third witness, EMRS driver Shahril, to testify.
DPP Hamdan asks Shahril what shift he was working on November 26 last year.
Shahril says he was working with Adib on the 8pm-to-8am shift.
The DPP asks Shahril to explain his job scope.
Shahril says EMRS provides medical assistance to firemen and the public.
4.05pm: Adib’s family’s lawyer, Yahaya, asks Elliza if he saw Adib when he was reversing the fire truck.
Elliza says he did not.
Lawyer Shazlin Mansor, representing the Housing and Local Government Ministry, Fire and Rescue Department and Adib’s family, asks Elliza how the firemen communicated with each other.
Elliza says it is via walkie talkie, and that all communication was by supervisor Badrul.
Shazlin asks Elliza why he reversed the fire truck when he was not instructed to do so.
He replies that he felt threatened.
Shazlin asks if Badrul had earlier ordered fire personnel to stay in the truck, why did Adib and Sharul exit the vehicle, disobeying orders?
Elliza says the crowd was aggressive, and that was why the firemen wanted to put out the fire.
3.45pm: DPP Hamdan asks Elliza if he checked the two vehicles for damage at the police station.
He says no one did as they were too busy trying to contact Adib.
“We called him several times, but there was no answer. Twenty minutes later, someone called and said he was taken to Subang Jaya Medical Centre.”
He says his supervisor then instructed them to go to SJMC and check on Adib.
“I left SJMC at 6pm and drove the fire truck back to the station. I then checked the vehicle.”
3.30pm: The DPP asks Elliza what fire personnel did after leaving the scene.
He says both the fire truck and EMRS vehicle headed to the USJ8 police station.
He says he heard Shahril, the driver of the EMRS vehicle, telling the supervisor, Badrul, that Adib was not in the vehicle.
3.10pm: The DPP asks Elliza what the vehicles at the back of the fire truck were.
He says they were the EMRS vehicle, a taxi and another vehicle.
“The taxi left the scene, and then, I reversed the truck, and the EMRS vehicle was to my left.
“I gave way to the EMRS vehicle to leave the scene.”
2.50pm: The DPP asks if Elliza hit other vehicles, and he replies that there were cars parked at the side.
He says the fire truck was still under attack when he was reversing.
“I saw three people running on the left side of the truck.
“I couldn’t see all that was happening because the left mirror was slightly bent.”
2.30pm: The inquest resumes with Elliza continuing his testimony.
DPP Hamdan asks Elliza what happened when the crowd started throwing stones.
He says he felt afraid and threatened.
“I wanted to save my life. I reversed carefully so that I wouldn’t damage the truck.”
The DPP asks Elliza if he knew that the EMRS vehicle was behind the truck.
He says yes.
The DPP asks if he felt anything after reversing the truck.
He says he heard a noise like a knock, but did not feel anything.
12.45pm: The inquest breaks for lunch.
12.40pm: DPP Hamdan asks Elliza if he received instructions after the fire truck came under attack.
He says his supervisor, Badrul, said not to exit the vehicle.
The DPP asks if anyone did.
Elliza says he did not notice that firemen Adib and Sharul had exited the vehicle during the commotion.
“All I heard was repeated shouts of ‘Don’t put out the fire’.”
The DPP asks Elliza what he did during the commotion.
He says: “When the windscreen shattered, I got scared and reversed the truck. There were so many people shouting. I was afraid that the object would break the windscreen.”
Elliza says he saw that the fire truck was hit by a sepak takraw pole and helmets.
12.25pm: Elliza says the fire department received a call at 1.03am. Personnel deployed to the temple arrived at 1.12am.
He says he parked the fire truck 10m to 15m from the burning car.
“I then heard a knock on the windscreen. There were people throwing stones.”
12.10pm: The DPP asks Elliza how many vehicles were deployed to the scene.
He says a fire truck and an EMRS vehicle were deployed.
He says he drove the fire truck, which also carried his supervisor, Badrul, and five other firemen.
He says the EMRS vehicle was driven by Ahmad Shahril Osman and medical assistant Adib Kassim.
11.55am: The inquest calls fireman Elliza Mohd Noor to the witness stand.
DPP Hamdan asks Elliza what his role is in the Fire and Rescue Department.
He says he is a driver attached to the Subang fire station, and that he has been with the department since 2001.
The DPP asks if he was one of the firemen at the Seafield temple on November 26 last year.
Elliza says yes.
11.40am: The lawyer asks Nasir if he saw fire personnel exiting the truck and EMRS vehicle.
He says no.
The lawyer asks what he did after the fire truck was hit by the object.
He says he informed the command centre about the incident.
“During the incident, another officer and I tried to approach the crowd, but there were too many people.
“We tried to enter the area, but due to safety concerns, as we were not equipped to handle the situation, we didn’t go in.
“We only controlled traffic in the area.”
Nasir says he and the officer saw what happened to the fire truck, but did not see firemen getting beaten up.
11.25am: Adib’s family’s lawyer, Yahaya Othman, asks Nasir what the group in front of the temple was doing.
He says they were “standing around”.
The lawyer asks if the crowd was aggressive.
Nasir says things turned aggressive only after the object was thrown at the fire truck.
11.15am: The DPP asks if Nasir saw the back of the fire truck from where he was located at the junction near the temple.
He says no.
The DPP asks Nasir how long the incident went on for, and replies “10 to 15 minutes”.
The DPP asks how many people were in the fire truck.
Nasir says many.
Asked if saw movement in the fire truck, he replies “no”.
11am: Nasir says at 1am, he asked inspector Azmi to call the Fire and Rescue Department to the scene.
After firemen arrived, he says, he saw someone throw an object to the front windscreen of the fire truck, and it shattered.
“I was about 80m to 100m from where both the fire truck and EMRS vehicle were located.
“He then went in front and reversed the vehicle again before leaving the scene.
“When the truck reversed, it knocked into the back of the EMRS vehicle.”
10.50am: Nasir says 20m before reaching the USJ toll plaza, he was told that there was a vehicle on fire near the temple.
He says he then instructed his men to close the road and divert traffic to Puchong and Shah Alam.
He says an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people, believed to be Indians, were in front of the temple.
10.30am: The inquest into Adib’s death begins with IPD Subang Jaya traffic chief Mohd Nasir Rahman being called to the stand.
Nasir says his role in the force is to conduct investigations into accidents.
DPP Hamdan Hamzah asks him where he was on November 26 last year.
Nasir says he was at the IPD when he got a call about traffic congestion, after which he went to the Seafield temple. – February 11, 2019.
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