KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The decision by counsel Syazlin Mansor to withdraw herself from the inquest into firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s death has left his family shocked and disappointed.
Lawyer Mohd Kamaruzaman A Wahab, who is the head of five legal counsels acting on behalf of Adib’s family, questioned the sudden turn of events.
“We have informed the family. We are also puzzled, what will happen? It is sudden news to us.
“(The withdrawal) we could see that something is happening, but we do not really know (why it happened). So we want some explanation. Why suddenly? Because this case is almost finished,” he told online news portal Malaysiakini.
Syazlin had been appointed by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, to represent both the ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department as interested parties in the inquest.
She also represented Adib’s family alongside their legal team.
When she announced her withdrawal at the Coroner’s Court in Shah Alam today, Syazlin said this also meant the appointment of forensic medicine expert Prof Dr Shahrom Abdul Wahid was voided.
As such Shahrom, formerly Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital’s forensics unit head, will be ineligible to testify further unless called to assist the court by Coroner Rofiah Mohamad.
One of three forensic experts testifying at the inquest, Shahrom is also the only one who believes Adib sustained his injuries after he was pulled out of the Emergency Medical Rescue Services vehicle and attacked during the Seafield temple riot in November 2018.
Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin had said Syazlin’s presence at the inquest is not needed, as it had been rendered redundant by the Attorney General representing the government.
