KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — The Coroner’s Court was told today that firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim may have been semi-conscious when he was pulled from the Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) van during a riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya last year.

Former senior forensic and pathology consultant at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Prof Dr Shahrom Abd Wahid, 62, said this could have been because Adib was either shocked to be attacked or in extreme pain.

At the same time, Dr Shahrom said it was also possible that the firefighter was helpless to resist the person pulling him out.

"He may have been semi-conscious either because he was in shock or because he was in extreme pain due to his injuries.

"Maybe he was conscious when he was pulled, moving but not resisting aggressively. No reaction,” he said when testifying on the 27th day of the inquest. 

He said this when questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah, who is the conducting officer in the inquest, about the deceased’s condition when he was being pulled out.

The 29th witness said Adib was probably dragged and that the evidence was in the back of the camouflage pants worn by the firefighter.

He said traces of dirt stuck on his pants would prove that the victim was dragged.

Dr Shahrom said he thoroughly checked Adib’s camouflage pants and found evidence that the firefighter was indeed dragged.

"Look at the pants, there is dirt and traces of being dragged. The fabric is also fluffy and there are stitches which have come off,” he said. 

Earlier, the lawyer for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) as well as the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Syazlin Mansor had  raised the issue of an expert witness sitting with the inquest conducting officer’s team.

Syazlin said the witness, Kuala Lumpur Hospital forensic medical specialist Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi had suggested questions to the inquest conducting team while seated in the public gallery in previous proceedings.

Hamdan, however, denied it and Coroner Rofiah Mohamad allowed Dr Ahmad Hafizam, who was also the 24th witness at the inquest, to continue sitting with the inquest conducting team.

Adib, who was a member of the EMRS Unit of the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station, was seriously injured during the riot at the temple on Nov 27 last year before succumbing to his injuries on Dec 17 last year at the National Heart Institute.

The inquest continues tomorrow. — Bernama