KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — The Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia today dismissed allegations that warded rescuer Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was struck by a fire engine instead of demonstrators at the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple.

Its director-general Datuk Mohamad Hamdan Wahid explained that the individual seen in the video was instead another fireman, who was dispatched to the scene following an emergency call.

"The person highlighted in the viral video was another fireman who was equipped with firefighting gears.

"That said person is sitting right next to me, here he is,” he said during a press conference at the National Heart Institute (IJN), pointing to firefighter Mohd Hazim Rahimi, 31.

Hamdan explained that Hazim had moved from the fire engine to the emergency medical response service (EMRS) vehicle.

Earlier, the chairman of the Save Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple taskforce S. Ramaji, who heads a faction involved in a dispute over the temple’s relocation, pointed to a video clip that had been shared on social media to support his allegation.

Ramaji said the severe injuries suffered by the fireman were not caused by demonstrators, but from a fire truck reversing into him at full speed.

"There is no proof to show that Adib was struck by the fire truck,” Mohamad Hamdan said.

Mohamad Hamdan then slammed those who made such claims, pointing out that they were not present during the operation.

"I have eight personnel who responded to the emergency call, so please do not accuse us.

"We will lodge a police report against such false allegations leveled against us to protect our personnel’s integrity,” he said.

He said that the public can decide for themselves whether the firemen were greeted with hospitality or hostility upon their arrival as they merely responded to an emergency fire call.

"I do not need to explain myself as video evidence has proven clearly what was the kind of situation at the time,” he said.

However Mohamad Hamdan declined to divulge further as the case was currently under police investigation.

Asked to describe his experience, Hazim also denied the allegations that the individual struck by the fire truck was Adib as he was behind the fire truck to deploy firefighting equipment to extinguish the fire.

"Then I saw a group of demonstrators charging towards me and I quickly escaped into the EMRS vehicle,” he said.