AFTER two days of proceedings in the inquest into the death Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, it is still unclear how the fireman had suffered injuries during the riots at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor, last November. 

So far, three witnesses have given evidence and none could say if Adib was pulled out of his vehicle and attacked by a mob or whether he was run over by a reversing fire engine – two possibilities which police were initially investigating.

Yesterday, coroner Rofiah Mohamad and the legal team visited the site where Adib was found and spent 30 minutes studying where the fire engine and the Emergency Medical Rescue Services vehicle were on the night of the incident.

They then went to the Subang Jaya SS17 fire and rescue station to inspect vehicles damaged during the riots. 

Today, the EMRS driver, Ahmad Shahril Othman, will continue giving evidence.

In the proceedings yesterday, Shahril told the coroner that he assumed Adib was pulled out of the emergency vehicle and beaten up by a mob during the riots. 

He said a mob attacked the fire truck and the EMRS vehicle and during the attack, Adib was in the vehicle with him.

Three men wearing helmets approached the van and tried to open the door on the driver’s side, he said.

“I then focused my attention there (on the rioters) and when I turned my van towards the side of the truck, I noticed that Adib was gone.”

The inquest is being held at the Shah Alam coroners’ court and is expected to go on for 52 days. 

The Malaysian Insight is carrying the proceedings live.

4.50pm: DPP asks if Badrul tried to communicate with the van to inform them not to exit.

Badrul said there was a blindspot.

Shazlin asks what is a blindspot.

Badrul said there was no radio communication, hence it is a blindspot.

“So, we usually communicate using our handphones. We failed to establish communication with the van before and after the attack.”

Shazlin asks Badrul if there was a blindspot why didn’t he use his handphone.

Badrul said that he was trying to protect himself during the attack.

“I couldn’t find my handphone.”

The inquest adjourns for the day and will continue tomorrow.

4.25pm: DPP asks Badrul about the police report he lodged at the SS17 police station. 

Badrul said he made the police report based on what Shahril had told him about the incident. 

“We assumed that if they tried to open Shahril’s door, then they would have done the same to Adib’s side.

“We wrote in the report that Adib was injured because he was pulled out of the van and beaten. 

“We then later told the policeman who was taking the report that we didnt see Adib getting beaten up.”

Badrul added that they were traumatised and unsure while making the report.

4.10pm: DPP asks Badrul what happened when the truck reversed. 

Badrul said he heard a knock but didn’t feel anyting. 

“I felt a little impact. It was chaos outside the truck.” 

DPP asks Badrul if Hazim was the only one not in truck. 

He said yes, and at time, all they could do was seek the police help. 

“When we did the roll-call Hazim was with us, but not Adib.

“During journey to the police station, I didn’t know Adib was not in the van.

“We then asked police to go the scene and look for Adib.” 

3.45pm: Badrul said he was informed by his firemen that Hazim was not with them, and Anuar managed to get back into the truck.

He said at the time, he felt scared because the truck’s front windscreen on the driver side was shattered.

“I was scared and held on to the door on my side. People then started knocking on the door.

“It was loud and scary. I kept looking back and to the side. I couldn’t see in front (of me) because the screen was shattered.

“I couldn’t tell how many people were around because I didn’t have a clear view.”

3.25pm: The DPP asks Badrul what happened when the truck stopped.

He said a group of people came towards the truck.

“I ordered my men not to get down from the truck. But two firemen, Hazim and Anuar, exited the truck.

“They exited because they wanted to put out the fire.”

Badrul said he immediately told the other firemen to call the duo back.

“That was when people started throwing sticks and stones. At that moment, our driver, Elliza, started reversing the truck.”

3.15pm: The DPP asks Badrul how many fire personnel went to the scene of the burning car.

He said there were seven in the truck and two in the EMRS vehicle.

The DPP asks Badrul what he saw upon arriving at the scene.

He said he saw a group of people around the burning car.

“We stopped the truck about 20m away.”

3pm: The inquest resumes with Subang Jaya fire operations chief Badrul Hisham Saleh being called to the stand.

DPP Hamdan asks Badrul what his job scope is.

Badrul said he is a supervisor for firefighting and special services.

“I’m responsible for the training of firemen, monitoring the operations centre and ensuring that the equipment is in good condition.”

1.10pm: Adib family lawyer Mohd Kamaruzaman A. Wahab asks Amirul was Adib still conscious.

He said “yes”. 

The lawyer asks if he asked others what had happened to Adib.

He said no one around could give an explanation and they didn’t see anything. 

The inquest takes a break for lunch. 

12.45pm: The DPP asks if there were others around. 

Amirul said three people were around. 

He then asked them what had happened to Adib. 

“I heard that he got beaten but I asked around, and the people didn’t see anything.”

DPP asks Amirul if he can recognise the trio.

Amirul said “no”. 

The DPP asks Amirul if he noticed what had happened to Adib.

Amirul said he didn’t see bruises on the fireman.

“I then went to lodge a police report on the damage to my car and went to Shah Alam to give a statement on Adib.”

12.25pm: The DPP asks Amirul what else he noticed about the fireman (Adib).

Amirul said he heard someone saying the firemen was about to faint. 

“I also saw that he was going to faint. A few people asked if I could send him to hospital and I said I couldn’t because my car was damaged and I couldn’t open it.”

12.10pm: The DPP asks Amirul how long the incident lasted.

He said it happened in less than five seconds.  

“The van also scraped the right-hand side of my car which was parked at the side.

“I then went to check my car and saw a fireman sitting on the road shoulder and clutching his chest.”

12.05pm: The DPP asks apart from the burning car what else did they see.

Amirul said they saw hundreds of people standing around a burning car.

“They were all chatting and a few of them were drinking liquor. 

“I then saw the truck and van coming towards the burning car. But the people were shouting at them not to put out the fire.

“Then a group of about 50 people rushed to the front and started to throw bottles and one person hit the windscreen with a pole.”

The DPPs asks Amirul where the group came from.

He said they came from the direction of the temple. 

“I then saw the truck reverse and hit the van.”

11.50am: The coroner releases Shahril and summons fourth witness AirAsia trainee steward Amirul Adli Yussli.

The DPP asks Amirul to recount what happened on the night of the incident.

Amirul said he and his friend were driving towards Putra Heights when they ran into the riots.

“We then stopped the car as the road was blocked. We didn’t know what was happening and saw a car on fire.

“We then asked a couple of people what was going on and they said a group of people had caused a ruckus at the temple.”

11.35am: Shazlin asks if Shahril noticed at any point that Adib was missing during the riots.

Shahril said with all the ruckus around he didn’t even know if Adib’s door was open or shut.

Shazlin asks if Adib had spoken would he have heard him.

Shahril said no because of all the noise.

“I couldn’t tell if he spoke or not. It was like being in a football match.”

11.20am: Shazlin asks Shahril if he looked around for Adib after he noticed that his colleague was missing. 

Shahril said he looked in and around the van. 

Shazlin asks if there was any point of time when he wanted to leave the van.

Shahril said he felt safer in the van.

“I didn’t get down from the van. I felt safer in the van.”

11.10am: Lawyer Shazlin Mansor, representing the Housing and Local Government Ministry, Bomba and Adib’s family, asks Shahril about the turn he made when the truck knocked the van.

Shahril said when the truck knocked into the van, he lost control of the steering wheel temporarily which resulted in the van turning. 

Shazlin asks if anyone was around when the truck knocked into the van. 

He said no one was around. 

11.00am: Adib family lawyer asks Shahril why he assumed that Adib could have been pulled out of the van.

“I made the assumption that they tried to get Adib because the rioters had attacked the truck and van.

“I also made the assumption that a day before the incident, another team was threatened and stopped from putting out a fire in front of the Seafield temple.”

10.50am: Adib family lawyer asks Shahril about the turn he made after the fire engine knocked into the EMRS (van).

He asks if there were still people around when he made the turn.

Shahril said “yes”.

The lawyer then asks what if the door on Adib’s side was open when he made the turn, what would have happened. 

Shahril said the door would have come undone. 

“But after the incident, the door was intact but damaged.” – February 13, 2019.