Expressing sadness over the death of Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, 24, who was injured in the riots at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ25, Subang Jaya, on Nov 27, the sultan praised the firefighter as a distinguished and courageous hero who died in the service of the nation.

Sultan Nazrin Shah, who began a two-day visit to Penang yesterday, spoke at the presentation of instruments of appointment to members of the Penang Islamic Religious Council and judges and registrars of the Penang Syariah Court.

Also present at the event were Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abdul Rahman Abbas and Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman.

Adib succumbed to his injuries on Dec 17 at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur. An inquest is to be held to determine the cause of his death.

Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is the Sultan of Perak, said justice must be meted out in the case of Adib. Those responsible for the cruel crime should be brought to justice and punished, he added.

“The whole country, regardless of race or religion, from the ordinary people to the palace, mourns the loss suffered by Adib’s family. All efforts must be made to find those who committed this cruel crime that led to his death and brought grief to his family.

“In upholding the truth, those who witnessed the incident have the religious, moral and legal responsibility to come forward and assist in the police investigation. A crime as cruel as this cannot be covered up.

“We shall ask God for poetic justice. We shall ensure that the guilty will be punished for their sins,” the sultan said.

Recalling the temple riots of Nov 27, Sultan Nazrin Shah said that Malaysia, a multiracial nation of people with mutual respect for one another founded by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, had for a moment lost the sense of humanity that it had nurtured for so long.

“The law was discarded by the people who resorted to violence, driven by prejudice and emotion,” he said.

Sultan Nazrin Shah said the country would be peaceful and the people can live in harmony so long as everyone adhered to and respected the law.

However, when the law is discarded and the people opt for strength or advantage by using position, wealth, violence, corruption, lust and deceit, many innocent people will become the victims, he said.

At the event, the sultan presented the instruments of appointment to 14 members of the Penang Islamic Religious Council and 25 judges and registrars of the Penang Syariah Judiciary Department.