The Malaysian Insight

THE attack on a fireman in a riot early yesterday at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ25 will not deter fire and rescue personnel from carrying out their duties, minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said.

The housing and local government minister also said the fireman was not in critical condition and is receiving treatment at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre.

She said all Fire and Rescue Department personnel must not be discouraged by the attack and continue serving the people.

“I don’t want the firemen to stop helping the people. I won’t allow it. They will continue with their duties and I want everyone to be more civil (when it comes to) resolving problems,” she told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

She was asked about the mob attack against Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, 24, an emergency management response system (EMRS) personnel from the Subang Jaya fire station, who is reportedly suffering internal injuries and fractures.

The New Straits Times reported that in the 1am incident, Adib was dragged out of his EMRS vehicle and assaulted. The paper said he is “reportedly unconscious”.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari will visit the injured fireman in hospital later today.

The group at the temple last night was there to defend the house of worship from further intrusions after masked men attacked it in the early hours of yesterday.

The authorities and politicians from the state have stressed that although Malay men were involved, it was not a racial incident and was instead a dispute between the private developer which owns the land where the temple is located and the devotees who are challenging an eviction notice in court.

The developer, One City Development Sdn Bhd, has denied engaging any group to enforce the eviction.

The group was said to number about 2,000, according to NST, grew rowdy and defied police orders to disperse. They then set fire to three vehicles.

Police said today 21 people have been detained. – November 27, 2018.