SHAH ALAM: The Coroner’s Court here today allowed an application by the father of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim to initiate committal proceedings against Attorney-General (AG) Tommy Thomas for contempt in the inquest into his son’s death.
Coroner Rofiah Mohamad made the decision after studying the documents and affidavits submitted by both parties.
In the judgment, Rofiah said she was satisfied with the submissions of both parties , where the family had proven a prima facie case against Thomas.
“In the inquest proceedings before this, there were developments to stop the lawyer representing the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) and Muhammad Adib’s family, Syazlin Mansor, which had interrupted the inquest hearing.
“(In fact) the affidavits submitted by (former) inquest handling officer Hamdan Hamzah last April 3 prompted calls for the inquest to be replaced with a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).
“It created a negative perception of the inquest conducted by me, as empowered by the AG himself, to find out the cause and circumstances under which Muhammad Adib met his death,” she said.
Rofiah then set Sept 23 for management.
Mohd Kassim, 64, filed the application through Messrs Mohd Zubir Embong & Associates last July 16.
He claimed that the AG had committed contempt through an affidavit that was filed by the AGC last April 3.
Muhammad Adib, 24, who was a member of the emergency medical rescue services (EMRS) at the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue station, was seriously injured in a riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, USJ 25, on Nov 27, 2018.
He died on Dec 17 after 21 days at the National Heart Institute. — Bernama
