Adib’s inquest: Lawyer Syazlin Mansor is back!
KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Syazlin Mansor announced that she is back in the inquest to determine firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s cause of death.
She will be representing Adib’s family in the proceedings, at the behest of the deceased’s family.
“I will continue representing the deceased’s family in the inquest proceedings.
“Adib’s father asked me to continue being their lawyer… I am quite close to the family,” she added.
Previously, Syazlin was also acting for the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department but was forced to withdraw herself by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
The order came as Attorney General Tommy Thomas deemed Syazlin representing the government agencies and Adib’s family could lead to conflict of interest.
However, Tommy said she can continue representing Adib’s family but Syazlin chose to recuse herself from representing Adib’s family as well.
Syazlin today questioned the timing of her removal, which was right after her witness, Dr Shahrom Abdul Wahid testified that Adib may have been dragged out from the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) and assaulted by a mob during the Seafield temple riot.
Shahrom’s testimony disputed testimonies by two other experts, who claimed that Adib’s injuries could have been sustained due to being hit by an EMRS vehicle.
“The chronology of events that happened, in my opinion, clearly shows attempts to disturb the proceedings of the inquest, especially in relation to the testimony by expert witness Prof Dr Shahrom,” she claimed.
Syazlin added that Adib’s family and the Fire and Rescue Department rejected the ‘hit by EMRS van’ theory.
“This is because the theory that the deceased was hit by the EMRS is an unfounded theory made by those not involved in the inquest proceedings,” she said.
Syazlin also dismissed Tommy’s reasoning that she representing the government agencies and Adib’s family will give rise to conflict of interest, as the family has no intention of suing the ministry or the Fire and Rescue Department.
She also rejected Tommy’s argument that she needed a fiat (legal sanction) as she was acting as a lawyer and not as someone conducting the proceedings.
Syazlin added that Tommy should not have also used her husband’s then position as Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin’s press secretary as a reason to axe her.
“This should not be the case as I was doing my work on a pro bono basis.
“I believe this to be an act to tarnish the good names of my husband and I,” she said.
