Firefighter still traumatised by temple incidents — Fire and Rescue Dept

NILAI: A firefighter involved in the operations during the riot incidents at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Subang Jaya, last week, is still traumatised by the event, says Fire and Rescue Department director- general Datuk Muhammad Hamdan Wahid.

He said the firefighter, the one behind the wheels of the Emergency Medical and Rescue Services ( EMRS) unit, was still a state of fear and anxiety .

“From our meeting with all eight fi refighters from the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue station involved in the incident, there are anxiety and symptoms of trauma, especially the driver of EMRS vehicle .

“When we asked him questions, he would give us blank expression, apart from his answers being jumbled up and that guilty feeling for causing (in his mind) his colleague Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim to sustain serious injuries,” he said.

He said this to reporters after the ‘Bicara Tokoh: Achieving High Performance Fire Organisation: The X Factors’ programme at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia ( USIM) here yesterday.

Also present were USIM vicechancellor Datuk Dr Musa Ahmad and state Fire and Rescue department director Norazam Khamis.

Muhammad Hamdan said even though firefighters’ leave had been frozen in preparation for the monsoon season, exemption from work would still be given to personnelwhowasstilltraumatised, depending on the assessment of the station’s chief.

He would also seek cooperation from the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Armed Forces’ counsellors, in efforts to help the traumatised personnel as he believed both the ministry and armed forces had the expertise and experience of managing officers who went through traumatic events.

In another development, he said Muhammad Adib had shown positive developments and had begun to respond by nodding or shaking his head and making hand signs, though he still could not talk due to tubes in his mouth.

“Even though his condition is still categorised as critical but stable, Muhammad Adib’s recovery process has been amazing,” he said.

Muhammad Hamdan also expressed his gratitude to those who helped Muhammad Adib in terms of physical, mental, and contribution as well as prayers from all Malaysians who wanted to see his speedy recovery. — Bernama