'Adib indicated he was beaten up', but fireman couldn't remember

SHAH ALAM: One of the specialists who treated Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was told by a member of his staff that the fireman indicated he had been beaten up, but was told the contrary when he himself asked his patient.

Senior consultant cardiothoracic and heart/lung transplant surgeon Datuk Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib told the coroner's court this on Monday (Feb 25) as the 14th witness at the inquest into the death of the 24-year-old fireman.

Under questioning by Faten Hadini Khairuddin, who is on the three-member team from the Attorney General's Chambers, Dr Mohamed Ezani said that an employee at the National Heart Institute (IJN), whom he only identified as "Asyraf", told him the information after Muhammad Adib's death.

"I was informed by one of my staff, Asyraf; he mentioned that he had asked the patient whether he remembered what happened to him.

"Asyraf asked whether he remembered what happened to him and the patient nodded his head.

"Asyraf then asked whether he was beaten up and the patient nodded his head," said Dr Mohamed Ezani, adding that he then told Asyraf to relay the information to IJN's legal team.

When asked whether he remembered when Asyraf told him this, he said that it could be on Dec 25 last year.

Dr Mohamed Ezani however said that Muhammad Adib indicated to him that he could not remember what happened to him when he himself asked the fireman.

"I could not recall the date, perhaps this was around day six that he (Muhammad Adib) was at IJN.

"I asked the patient, 'Do you remember what happened?' He shook his head.

"I stopped and didn't ask further questions," he said.

Dr Mohamed Ezani said that Muhammad Adib also indicated that he was unable to remember what happened to him when asked by the investigating officer (IO) in his case.

"I was beside the IO. The IO asked the patient whether he remembered what happened.

"He shook his head. This I perceived as a 'no'," he said.

He added that Muhammad Adib was communicating using either a board or hand signals while he was conscious as he had a tube in his mouth.

Dr Mohamed Ezani was part of the team who treated Muhammad Adib when he was transferred to IJN from Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) at around midnight of Nov 28 until the fireman's death on Dec 17.

Dr Mohamed Ezani said that Muhammad Adib was on the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine from the time he was admitted to IJN until Dec 11.

The fireman was again put on the ECMO machine on Dec 15 and his condition continued to deteriorate, he added.

Judge Rofiah Mohamad sits as coroner for the inquest, held at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.

Monday (Feb 25) was day nine of the inquest.

Muhammad Adib was critically injured when he and his team-mates from the Subang Jaya fire station responded to an emergency at the Seafield Sri Mariamman Temple where riots took place last November.

He was taken to SJMC before being transferred to the National Heart Institute (IJN) for further treatment.

He passed away on Dec 17.