AHMAD Soffian Mohd Shariff has resigned as the housing and local government minister’s press secretary weeks after his wife Syazlin Mansor withdrew as the ministry’s lawyer in the inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

In a Whatsapp message, Soffian said he tendered his resignation today.

“For everyone’s information, I sent my letter of resignation today and will be on leave for a month,” Soffian said.

Syazlin was representing three parties in the inquest as lawyer for the ministry, the Fire and Rescue Department, and the family of the deceased.

She withdrew her services for all three clients two weeks ago, after the Attorney-General Tommy Thomas said her representation of three parties in one case was “unacceptable” due to conflict of interest. 

Meanwhile, it is learnt Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin has not been informed of Soffian’s resignation.

She is currently in Turkey.

Last week the first-term minister said she had not been informed that she had to consult the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) when engaging Syazlin’s services.

“I was not advised. No lawyer came to offer their services and no one said that the ministry should seek advice from the AGC,” she said.

“Therefore, we went ahead with Syazlin’s appointment,” she told reporters at an event in Petaling Jaya.

Syazlin had brought to the stand retired forensic expert Prof Shahrom Abdul Wahid, who told the coroner that Adib was likely dragged out of an EMRS van and assaulted on the night of the Seafield temple riots on November 27 last year.

Two other experts, however, had concluded that Adib likely died due to injuries sustained from being hit by the vehicle attempting to escape the mob.

Adib, 24, died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on December 17. – June 10, 2019.