KUALA LUMPUR: The attack on a fire fighter by rioters at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ25 in Subang Jaya on Tuesday appeared to have been done with the intention to kill, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said Malaysians are allowed to protest, but not to the extent of using violence.
“Although we want to be liberal and given permission for protests, but attempting to kill is not a demonstration. It is attempted murder,“ he said after visiting critically injured fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim at the National Heart Institute (IJN) today.
He pointed out how Muhammad Adib suffered life-threatening injuries and said the tragedy was only avoided by his timely transfer to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Tuesday.
He was believed to have been assaulted by demonstrators on Wednesday, although one faction from the temple asserted that he was run over by a fire truck trying to manoeuvre out of danger.
“Without the proper modern medical assistance and equipment in IJN, he would be dead by now,“ Mahathir added.
When asked on police investigations that lawyers for developer One City Development Sdn Bhd had hired ‘thugs’, Mahathir said it was a wrong move to hire individuals to do the work in securing the temple.
“They don’t understand our culture, we can’t do that. If we can find out who is responsible, I feel that the Attorney-General should build a case,“ he said.
Earlier, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin disclosed the alleged role of the firm’s lawyers in triggering the unrest at the site of the temple.
Muhyiddin said that the information was gleaned from preliminary police investigations and questioning of the two lawyers who were among the 21 people arrested and remanded over the unrest.
On the request by the temple management for him to intervene in the issue, Mahathir said he will issue a statement on the matter in Parliament on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple taskforce secretary, V. K. Regu claimed that Muhammad Adib was not attacked.
He told a press conference today that three videos circulating in social media showed that the fireman was hit by a fire engine that was reversing.
“If you see the video, it shows the fireman being hit by the fire engine as it reversed and he was thrown against a fire rescue van that was behind the fire engine.
“The video also shows that the crowd did not hit the fireman, but actually tried to alert the fire engine to stop and brought the injured fireman to the hospital,“ he claimed.
Regu urged the police to investigate what actually had taken place in the case of the fireman, adding that he has submitted the videos to the authorities.
