KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 ― The people who directly assaulted rescue worker Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim and those who created the situation leading to the riots must all be punished, said faction of the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple today.

S. Ramaji, who chairs a task force controlling the temple, said the group was "deeply saddened and devastated” by the death of Adib  yesterday who was injured while on duty at the Seafield temple.

"We urge the authorities to conduct through investigations and bring all those responsible to the book.

"The authorities must not only go after the perpetrators but also the people who were behind the perpetrators,” the chairman of the Save Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple task force said in a statement today.

"They must be punished as their act of violence or scheming has not only taken the life of a public servant but has also compromised the nature of our struggle to retain the Seafield temple in its current location,” he added.

"Violence is not and will never be a solution for any problem. And those who indulge in it for whatever reason have to investigated and punished accordingly,” he said.

Ramaji's task force had objected to the relocation of the Seafield temple to an alternative spot offered by a private developer, and was locked in an internal feud with another temple management committee that had been recognised by the courts and had previously agreed under a 2014 court order to relocate the temple.

On November 26, violent clashes believed linked to the temple relocation dispute broke out at the Seafield temple area.

Riots broke out again and vehicles were torched at the temple on November 27, which was when Adib and eight others from the Fire and Rescue Department were sent to respond to an emergency fire call.

The two vehicles that the emergency workers were reportedly attacked upon arrival, with Adib allegedly pulled out from one of the vehicles and assaulted by a mob.

After three weeks of being hospitalised over severe injuries including to his lungs and broken ribs, Adib died at 9.41pm yesterday at the National Heart Institute (IJN).

Adib's remains were flown back to his home state of Kedah today.

The 24-year-old, who was serving at the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station's Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) unit, had been due to marry his fiancee on December 21.

The police have so far arrested 106 suspects over the temple riots and reclassified Adib’s case last night from attempted murder to murder.