FORENSIC expert Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi today told an inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim that his experiments to ascertain the cause of death were not done blindly but followed procedures.

The Hospital Kuala Lumpur pathologist said that based on evidence gleaned from the post mortem and experiments, there was the possibility that Adib’s injuries could have been sustained from falling on a curb during the riots at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple last November.

“We are giving information based on our post mortem.

“The court has to understand that the post mortem was done 21 days after the incident,” Hafizam told the coroner’s court in Shah Alam today.

Adib was injured in a riot on November 27 and died on December 17 at the National Heart Institute.

Dr Hafizam, who disagreed with the testimony of other forensic experts that Adib was pulled out of the van by people and beaten, was questioned by Housing and Local Government Ministry lawyer Syazlin Mansor today.

Syazlin asked Hafizam to explain his report that Adib’s injuries could have been caused by falling on a curb.

“After looking at the injuries to his chest, will you put aside the fact that he fell on the curb?” Syazlin asked.

She then asked if the reenactment of Adib falling on the curb had been done in various other positions and whether these would have returned the same results that the fireman’s injuries were due to falling on the curb.

“In your report, it says that there is the possibility that Adib’s pattern of injuries was due to falling on a curb. Why did you choose (falling on) the curb as one of the possibilities when you are not sure?” Syazlin said.

Hafizam said that there were “1,001 ways” Adib could have fallen down.

He added that there were other variables at the time of the incident as there were cars around and possibly other objects on the ground.

“This was just one of the possibilities.

“I can only say that what happened is that he could have hit the door (of his vehicle) and fell on a hard, wide, blunt, and rough surface.”

The inquest, which began on February 11, has been centred on how Adib received the injuries that led to his death. He had suffered broken ribs which had pierced a lung. 

Medical experts who had testified so far had given different opinions on how the injuries were caused.

The inquest resumes tomorrow. – May 16, 2019.