SHAH ALAM: A fireman told the Coroner Court here yesterday that he did not see Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim coming out of the Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) van during the riots at the site of Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya last year.
Mohd Hazim Mohd Rahimi, 31, from the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station said he was forced to hide at the back of the EMRS van and did not see Muhammad Adib when the attack took place.
“I was pursued by a stout man before I hid myself at the back portion of the van with the stretcher.
“I took the Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) truck to the incident location… moments after arriving at the scene, I saw the FRT vehicle being surrounded by a group of rioters… one of them began to chase after me.
“He was not holding any weapons. I then went inside the van and hid next to the stretcher. I did not see Muhammad Adib when I was in the van. The EMRS van driver, Ahmad Shahrill Othman was only aware I was in the van after reaching Subang Jaya police headquarters,” he said and added there was no communication between him and the driver on the way back to the police headquarters.
He was replying to a question by deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah who is also the officer conducting the inquest on the fourth day of hearing at the inquest into the death of Muhammad Adib.
On the situation at the location, Mohd Hazim said he saw several rioters holding iron rods, samurai swords, wooden clubs, stones and helmets.
Hamdan: Did you see Adib in front of the van?
Mohd Hazim: I did not see.
Replying to a question by counsel Yahaya Othman who is representing the family of the late firefighter, the sixth witness said he did not why Adib was injured.
Yahaya: You said, a fireman named Rosaidi made a call to Muhammad Adib and the call was answered by a member of the public and was told he had been brought to SJMC Hospital. Did they say Adib was injured?
Mohd Hazim: No, they did not say.
Meanwhile when asked by counsel Kamaruzaman Abdul Wahab, who is also representing the family of Muhammad Adib, on whether there were witnesses who saw the van’s door next to where Adib was sitting open, Mohd Hazim replied, “I did not see him, I would have seen him if he went out as we were wearing our uniform.
Kamaruzaman: Why didn’t you run to other areas to hide?
Mohd Hazim: I feel safer when I am in the van.
When replying to a question from lawyer, Syazlin Mansor, who is holding a watching brief for the Housing and Local Ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department, the witness said he was then at the back of the van and could not see anybody in front of the EMRS van as there was a barrier in the van.
“The van has a barrier. But there is an A4 size window where we see who are seated in front. But in the confusion, I did not look,” said the witness.
Muhammad Adib, 24, who was a member of the EMRS from the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station, was seriously injured in a riot at the site of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya on Nov 27 last year.
He died at the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Dec 17.
The proceedings before Coroner Rofiah Mohamad resumed yesterday evening. – Bernama
