Fireman Adib’s inquest set for next month

SHAH ALAM, Jan 18 ― The Coroner’s Court has set dates from February 11 to April 12 to hear the inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, who perished after sustaining injuries at riots at a Hindu temple last November.

Coroner Rofiah Mohamad set the date after hearing submissions from lawyers representing Adib's family, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, the Bar Council and the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple task force to determine whether they can be interested parties in the case.

The inquest is expected to call 30 witnesses, including six experts, on the case.

The experts will include the doctors who treated Adib during his stay at Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Hospital Kuala Lumpur and the National Heart Institute (IJN).

Rofiah also set January 31 for submissions from the Bar Council and the Sri Maha Mariamman temple for a decision on whether they will be deemed interested parties in the case or as observers holding a watching brief for their respective organisations.

In an inquest, only lawyers representing interested parties can question witnesses while those holding a watching brief can only pose questions with the court’s permission.

The federal counsel and coordinating officer for the inquest is Hamdan Hamzah, aided by Faten Hadni Khairuddin and Zhafran Rahim Hamzah.

A five-man team led by Mohd Kamaruzaman A. Wahab represented Muhammad Adib's family.

Lawyer Shazlin Mansor acted for the ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department.

The inquest has been scheduled for the following dates: February 11 to 28; March 1, 4, 5 and March 19 to 29; and April 1 to 12.

Muhammad Adib died at the IJN on December 17 last year, three weeks after riots broke out at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Selangor where he had been sent on duty as a first responder.