A SURGICAL assistant who was attending to Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim at the National Heart Institute’s (IJN) intensive care unit told the court today that the firefighter had indicated he was “pulled on” and nodded when asked if he had been beaten during the riots at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple last November. 

Muhammad Ashraff Baruji, 27, who had volunteered to work at the ICU when Adib was admitted there, told the coroners court today that Adib had indicated this by motioning to his left shoulder to “say” he was “pulled”. 

Ashraff told the court this occurred some time between December 10 and 12 while he was getting Adib ready for bed. 

He told the court that Adib could only communicate by writing on a whiteboard or with body language, as he had tubes running through his mouth and could not talk. 

“That night, I was getting Adib ready for bed after his night physiotherapy session,” Ashraff said, adding he then asked Adib if he remembered what had happened.

“I didn’t think about it but the question but just popped out of my mouth. 

“I asked him: do you remember what happened? He shook his head (geleng kepala).

“I then told him, ‘it’s ok, when you are ready, you can tell me what happened’.

“When I turned to leave, Adib tugged on my uniform and motioned for me to get the whiteboard. 

“I then asked him: ‘were you pulled? (Adib kena tarik ke?)’, to which he raised his left hand to his left shoulder and made a pulling motion,” he told the court. 

“I proceeded to ask him if he had fallen (Adib jatuh ke?), but Adib shook his head and waved his left hand (pusing-pusing tangan kiri).” 

Ashraff told the court that he then asked Adib if he had been beaten. 

“I asked him if he had been beaten (Adib kena pukul ke?), to which he nodded his head.” 

Ashraff, the 16th witness in the inquest into the 24-year-old firefighter’s death, told coroner Rofiah Mohamad Mansor that Adib had become restless after answering his questions, so he stopped asking them. 

“I asked him if he knew where he was and he pointed down, which meant he knew he was at the hospital. Then he started getting restless, moving his hands and legs on the bed. 

“I told him to get some rest and that I would see him tomorrow.” 

The court had to stand down for 10 minutes as Ashraff gave his testimony, after he became overwhelmed with emotion in recalling another encounter with Adib. 

“One day, he wrote on the whiteboard that he wanted some fruit juice.

“I told him that when he gets better, I will buy him the fruit juice myself,” a teary eyed Ashraff said. 

Deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah was questioning Ashraff on whether Adib was aware and conscious before his confession. 

Ashraff said he was sure Adib was aware and knew what he was saying. 

Ashraff told the court that it wasn’t until the December 24 or 25 that he told his superior about what Adib had communicated to him. 

“I felt it was confidential; that’s why I did not tell anyone. But then I decided to tell (IJN senior consultant cardiothoracic surgeon) Dr Ezani (Md Taib) about it.” 

On why he didn’t tell anyone earlier, Ashraff cited patient-caregiver privilege, adding he thought Adib had confessed it to him in private. 

“There was no specific reason for me to tell Dr Ezani but I told him because he was the head doctor on Adib’s medical team.” 

Yesterday, Dr Ezani had told the court that Ashraff had told him that Adib had indicated he had been beaten up. 

Dr Ezani had said that when he himself had asked the fireman the same question, he had been told the contrary. 

“I asked him: ‘do you remember what happened?’ He shook his head.” 

Dr Ezani said that Adib also indicated that he was unable to remember what happened to him when asked by the investigating officer (IO) in his case.

“I was beside the IO. The IO asked the patient whether he remembered what happened.

“He shook his head. This I perceived as a ‘no’,” Dr Ezani had said.

The inquest had been ordered as there were no conclusive findings into how Adib had been injured during the riots at the Subang Jaya temple on November 27 and 28 last year.

Police investigations had revealed there were only two possibilities as to what caused Adib’s death: either he was beaten or run over by a fire truck.

Adib was hospitalised for three weeks and, despite regaining consciousness and showing signs of recovery, died on December 17 due to lung failure. – February 26, 2019.