Despite arresting four suspects in connection with the murder of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, police have yet to pinpoint the real killers, sources said.
The four were picked up based on intelligence reports, sources told The Malaysian Insight, as they were seen at the scene of the crime.
“They were released on bail when the remand period ended,” sources said.
“To date, no one has been charged.”
The four were arrested on December 6 and investigated for attempted murder. Police, however, reclassified the case as murder after Adib succumbed to his injuries on Monday night while being treated at the National Heart Institute.
Selangor deputy police chief Abdul Rashid Wahab said investigations are ongoing. He declined to elaborate.
Another police source told The Malaysian Insight the four who are now out on bail are still under investigation.
“We are still investigating the four suspects,” the source said.
“There were thousands of people that night and we are working the best we can to look for those responsible.”
Adib and his fellow firemen had responded to an emergency call to the Seafield Sri Mahariamman temple in Subang Jaya where rioters had torched several vehicles.
However, when they arrived at the scene, the mob turned on the firemen who quickly retreated.
Police believed Adib was pulled out of the fire engine and assaulted but the temple committee said he was run over by the fire truck which was reversing.
The trouble at the temple began a day earlier when another group of masked men, armed with parang and iron rods stormed the temple and chased the devotees.
Reports indicated that the mob had come to clear out the temple while it was later demolished to make way for a huge development project.
The temple authorities and the owner of the land have had disputes over the relocation of the temple. The developer had earlier obtained a consent judgment for the temple to be relocated to Putra Heights, less than 3km away.
The temple authorities filed an injunction to stop the relocation which resulted in two days of rioting. Scores of people were injured and vehicles were torched.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers is now working out a settlement between the developer, One City Development Sdn Bhd, and the temple committee. – TMI