SHAH ALAM: The Coroner’s Court here today set Feb 11 to April 12 for the inquest proceeding to determine the cause of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s death.
Coroner Rofiah Mohamad fixed the dates during the case management today.
She set Feb 11 to 28; March 1,4 and 5; March 19 until 29 and April 1 to 12 to hear the matter.
Coordinating officer in the inquest, deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah told the court that 30 witnesses, including six doctors forensic experts would be called to testify.
The specialist doctors were among those who treated Muhammad Adib, including at the National Heart Institute and the Subang Jaya Medical Centre, he said, adding that the other witnesses included firemen, from the police, medical team and civilians at the scene of the incident.
“We have 30 witnesses, I suggest that this inquest gives instructions on the interested parties and whether they can submit questions during the proceeding,” he added.
Coroner Rofiah then ruled for the professional witnesses and witnesses of the investigating officer to testify in the form of witness statement and also allowed lawyers holding a watching brief for Muhammad Adib’s family, the Housing and Local Government Ministry and Fire and Rescue Department to raise further questions on the statements.
She also ruled that not more than one lawyer would be allowed to question the witnesses on the same issue.
On applications by lawyers representing the Bar Council and the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Task Force to be part of the interested parties and to question the witnesses, Rofiah set Jan 31 for decision.
The Coroner’s Court, however, allowed applications by lawyer Mansoor Saat to hold a watching brief for the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Syazlin Mansoor for the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department and Cyrus Tiu Foo Woei, for the Bar Council.
At today’s proceeding, Muhammad Adib’s family was represented by a panel of lawyers comprising Mohd Kamaruzaman Wahab, Ahmad Taufiq Baharum, Ahmad Lutfi Awang, Mohd Zubir Embong and Mohd Tajuddin Abdul Razak.
Muhammad Adib, 24, of the Subang Jaya Fire & Rescue Station, was severely injured when he arrived in the vicinity of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya, early on Nov 27 to put out a car fire during riots that erupted purportedly over the relocation of the house of worship.
Some people claim that he was injured in a vehicle accident while others allege that he was assaulted by several rioters.
He succumbed to his injuries and died at the National heart Institute (IJN) last Dec 17. — Bernama
