THERE was no communication between a fire truck and a Emergency Medical Response Services van when firemen came under attack during the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple riots last November, the coroner’s court heard today.

Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue department operations chief Badrul Hisham Salem said the area near the temple was a “blindspot”.  

“Our communication devices were down in the area and that’s why we couldn’t contact the EMRS.

“We usually use our handphones during situations like this. But, we failed to establish communications with the van before and after the attack,” he said at the Shah Alam High Court.

Badrul was replying to deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah, who asked if he had tried to contact the van in which fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was in during the riots.

Adib was part of the EMRS team that had allegedly come under attack from a group of people when they responded to a car on blaze in front of temple.

During the attack, Badrul ordered his men to stay in the fire truck but he couldn’t contact the men in the van.

They also couldn’t establish contact with the van when they fled the scene.

The firemen found that Adib was missing when they arrived at the USJ 8 police station to lodge a report over the incident.

Badrul said only during the roll-call that they realised that Adib was missing from the team.

Lawyer Shazlin Mansor, who is representing the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the Fire and Rescue Department and Adib’s family, asked Badrul why he didn’t use his handphone if there was a communications blindspot in the area.

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

“I was scared and was in shock. I couldn’t find my handphone.” 

The inquest continues tomorrow. – February 13, 2019.