KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — The police are ready to face any civil suit by the family of late firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim over an incident which caused his death in November 2018.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said it was within their rights to file a suit if they were dissatisfied with the investigations carried out by the police in connection to the case, and his department would wait and see what was contained in the suit before responding.

Today, the media reported that Muhammad Adib’s family was planning to claim compensation from the police for their alleged negligence and failure to prevent events that led to his death, as well as being disappointed with statements issued by Abdul Hamid over the matter recently.

On July 13, Abdul Hamid denied allegations of disrespecting and issuing statements contradicting the coroner’s court decision regarding the death of Muhammad Adib.

He said that no witnesses could claim with certainty that they saw Muhammad Adib being assaulted during the riots, and that all the evidence obtained was either "hearsay” or opinion-based.

Abdul Hamid said, however, the case had not been closed, and efforts were still underway to pursue the perpetrators under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Muhammad Adib, 24, who was a member of the Emergency Medical Rescue Services unit from the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station, sustained serious injuries during a commotion at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya on November 27, 2018. He died on December 17, after 21 days at the National Heart Institute.

On September 27 last year, the Shah Alam Coroner’s Court ruled that the fireman’s death was the result of a crime committed by more than two or more unknown persons. — Bernama