‘Fire Dept said no to post-mortem’

SHAH ALAM: The Fire and Rescue Department had declined a postmortem on firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, who died after allegedly being beaten up during a riot outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya on Nov 27.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Lew Keng Joe, speaking at the inquest into Adib’s death, told the coroner’s court that he was told about this by Fire Department officers on Dec 17, the day Adib died.

“On that day, about 2pm, Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmad and I went to the National Heart Institute (IJN) to visit Adib.

“However, the security guard manning the room said Adib’s family members did not want any visitors. He told us Adib was unconscious.

“About 9.45pm, my superior called to inform me that Adib had died. I rushed to IJN and arrived 45 minutes later.

“While outside the ICU, several Fire Department officers in plain clothes approached me and told me that we (police) did not have to conduct a post-mortem as IJN cardiothoracic surgeon senior consultant Datuk Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib could report the cause of death.

“I informed my superior, who told me that police would proceed with a request for a postmortem.

“Dr Ezani told me Adib died due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and multiple organ failure,” he said when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Fatin Hadni Khairuddin.

Lew said he was present during the post-mortem.

He said the post-mortem, conducted by Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi from Kuala Lumpur Hospital, concluded that Adib died due to injury on his thorax (cavity of the chest area), caused by blunt trauma to the chest.

When asked to identify Adib’s uniform, Lew said there was a possibility that it had been washed as it was not consistent with his injuries.

“We could not find any marks or bloodstain from Adib’s shirt and undershirt despite bruises and scratches sustained on his upper body. It was so clean compared to his trousers.”