Death of Malay firefighter in temple riots ruled to be ‘criminal act’, risks heightening tensions

Malay firefighter Malay firefighter Last November, protests against the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur turned violent

Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was pulled from an emergency response van and beaten before dying in hospital three weeks later

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Malay firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was injured during riots in November and taken to hospital, where he died three weeks later. Photo: Facebook

Published: 2:50pm, 27 Sep 2019Updated: 3:18pm, 27 Sep 2019

The death last year of a Malaysian firefighter after he responded to violent clashes over the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple was “a criminal act by two or more persons unknown”, the Coroner’s Court ruled on Friday.

Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, 24, was injured during riots in November and taken to hospital, where he died three weeks later. The death of the Malay firefighter heightened tensions around race relations in multiracial Malaysia and Friday’s finding has the potential to further strain tensions.

After Muhammad Adib’s death, the Pakatan Harapan government – which was six months old at the time – was caught flat-footed as politicians scrambled to minimise the fallout and maintain order. The situation became so urgent the government suspended its moratorium on the draconian security laws passed by the previous administration.

Members of the race- and religion-based opposition parties United Malays National Organisation (Umno) and the Islamist Party of Malaysia (PAS) sought the sacking of national unity minister P. Waythamoorthy, claiming he had exacerbated the fallout from the temple riots. Other right-wing groups threatened to storm police stations if no action was taken over Muhammad Adib’s death.

According to political scientist James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute, the findings of the inquest into Muhammad Adib’s death could deepen ill-feeling.

“The findings are not surprising but it will raise tensions as right-wing Malay groups may blame ethnic Indians,” Chin said.

Malaysia police officers guard the entrance of Sri Maha Mariamman temple in November 2018. Photo: AP

Ethnic Indians make up 6.9 per cent of Malaysia’s population, while Muslim Malays make up more than 60 per cent of the country’s population.

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