SHAH ALAM, Feb 15 — The Save Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Committee has filed an appeal against a High Court decision to uphold the decision of the Coroner Court in not allowing their lawyer as their watching brief in the proceeding of the inquest into the cause of the death of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

Counsel M. Visvanathan who filed the appeal notice at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on Monday (Feb 11) said the temple committee has the right to hold a watching brief in the inquest to ask witnesses questions apart from having access to all documents submitted in the proceeding.

"We want to be given watching brief to protect the interests of the Save Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Committee,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

On February 8, the High Court upheld the decision of the Coroner Court which rejected the application of the temple committee to have a watching brief and decided the appellant (temple committee) has no interest in the inquest which is in progress now.

Judge Rofiah Mohamad who was sitting as a coroner on January 31 rejected the application by Visvanathan for the temple committee as an interested party in the inquest on the grounds that it has no clear, substantive and reasonable interests.

The inquest which began from February 11 to 28, will also be held on March 1, 4 and 5, from March 19 to 29 and from April 1 to 12.

Muhammad Adib, 24, who is a member of the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) was seriously injured after being attacked in a riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on November 27.

He died at the National Heart Institute on December 17. — Bernama