SHAH ALAM: The inquest into the death of Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim yesterday heard a Pakistani national give his account of what happened to the firefighter during the riot at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya, on Nov 27 last year.
The witness, Budd Mohsin, 24, said he saw Adib fall on his back after he was caught between a car and the Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) vehicle he was on that was hit by a reversing Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicle attacked by several rioters.
The technician said he saw the FRT vehicle reverse and hit the EMRS vehicle soon after the FRT vehicle was attacked by the rioters.
“When the FRT vehicle reversed, Adib was wedged between the EMRS vehicle and a car. He fell on his back with his legs in the direction of the Caltex station,” he said when responding to a question from Hamdan Hamzah who is conducting the inquest that entered its 13th day yesterday.
Budd, the 20th witness, said he was not able to see the firefighter’s face but learned from the media later that he was Muhammad Adib.
He said he then saw a group of people who seemed to want to assault Muhammad Adib.
Hamdan: What happened then?
Budd: One group looked like it wanted to assault Adib. Some people tried to help Adib. Some people carried him to the Caltex station.
Budd, who testified in Punjabi which was translated into Malay by an interpreter, said he saw the FRT and EMRS vehicles arrive at the location of the riots to put out a car fire.
Soon after they arrived, two firefighters alighted from the FRT vehicle and Muhammad Adib was seen alighting from the passenger seat of the EMRS vehicle.
At today’s proceedings, the dark blue T-shirt worn by Muhammad Adib on the day in question was tendered as an exhibit.
The T-shirt, with the logo of the Fire & Rescue Department, was shown to Budd to verify and it was sealed in a transparent package by the Chemistry Department.
Also, a 48-second video clip, recorded by Budd’s security guard friend, was played to provide the picture of the position of Muhammad Adib who was said to have alighted from the EMRS vehicle.
A CCTV camera recording of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council on the incident was also tendered as an exhibit.
Muhammad Adib, who was a member of the EMRS at the Subang Jaya Fire & Rescue Station, was badly injured in the riot and died almost a month later at the National Heart Institute (IJN).
The hearing before coroner Rofiah Mohamad continues today. – Bernama
