IT has been a year since firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim died of injuries sustained in a riot outside a temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

An inquest into the death ruled that the injuries he sustained were caused by criminal acts by unidentified individuals.

While his family are satisfied with the findings of the inquest, they hope police would soon bring to book the perpetrators.

“I am satisfied with the inquest. It was what we had hoped for,” Adib’s father, Mohd Kassim Abdul Hamid told The Malaysian Insight.

“After the inquest, we waited for the police to act. We hope the police can identify the men involved,” he said when met at the As-Saadah Mosque in Kg Tebengau, Kuala Kedah, Kedah.

The mosque is close to where the family live and where Adib is buried.

So far, Kassim, 64, has yet to be briefed on the latest status of the investigation.

“I haven’t been told yet. No trial, too, as no one has been caught.

“We wait for the police. Please go all out,” he said with hope.

Adib, 24, was injured during a riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ 25 on November 27 last year.

He was pronounced dead at the National Heart Institute on December 17 after receiving treatment for 21 days.

Coroner Rofiah Mohamad ruled on September 27 that the cause of his death was the result of a crime committed by two or more unidentified individuals.

On Tuesday, the police said they were looking for nine witnesses to facilitate investigations.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Huzir Mohamed urged those involved to come forward.

“They are not suspects but they are believed to have been at the scene when the incident happened,” he told a press conference.

Adib’s father is confident that justice can and will be served. 

“Everyone knows he died because of the riot,” the grieving parent said.

Several times during the interview, Kassim had to hold back his tears.

Still racked with grief, he declined to answer questions about Adib’s behaviour or about his memories of his son.

“If you want to ask about my memories with Adib, better don’t.

“A year has passed, we don’t know how long this feeling will last. For us, it is still hard to accept what had happened.”

Feeling incomplete without Adib

A relative regards the firefighter as like a dear brother.

Muhd Hakim Mohd Helmi, 17, said they were close despite their age gap.

“We spent time together. We went to Langkawi for holidays,” said the cousin.

Adib was close to his relatives and was an obedient son.

“It feels incomplete without him… although other relatives are around,” he said.

“A night before he passed, 50 of us close relatives performed a special prayer asking for his speedy recovery.

“As we were reading, someone told us that he has passed on. We continued reading the Quran while in tears,” Hakim said.

He recalled how villagers from Kg Tebengau turned out at the funeral to pay their respects to Adib.

“Many came to our kampung to pray for him.” – December 19, 2019.