KUALA LUMPUR: The families of three men shot dead by police in Durian Tunggal, Melaka are urging the authorities to immediately suspend all officers involved pending a transparent and independent investigation into the incident.
Their demand was conveyed by the families’ lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, during a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters on Wednesday (Dec 10).
Rajesh said the families also want clarification on the status of the officers involved, including whether they have been suspended, placed on leave, detained or investigated.
“The public deserves answers. This is a matter of public interest. People need assurance that the investigation is being conducted fairly and transparently,” he said.
The group was seen arriving at Bukit Aman at 10am, before the lawyer and family members proceeded inside to provide statements and submit the evidence, a mobile phone belonging to the wife of one of the deceased at around 10.40am.
Rajesh said audio recordings retrieved from the device suggest that police had already detained the three men before they were shot.
“They were in police custody at the time of the shooting. The audio does not indicate any attack on the officers as claimed,” he said.
He said the families, who have lodged police reports, are also giving their statements the same day under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Rajesh also questioned why the police have yet to classify the incident as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, despite what he described as troubling evidence.
“We were told a special task force is handling the investigation, but to date there has been no clarification on who is leading it or who its members are. Why is Bukit Aman silent on this?” he asked.
He also raised concerns about the role of the Criminal Investigation Department director Comm Datuk M. Kumar, whom he said had yet to classify the case under Section 302.
“The Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim has called for a transparent investigation. Is he (Comm M. Kumar) unwilling, negligent, or refusing to act? This raises serious questions,” he said.
Rajesh said it was inappropriate for police to investigate their own officers, citing a clear conflict of interest.
“It makes no sense. Alleged offenders cannot investigate fellow offenders. This is why we need an independent body such as the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC),” he added.
Rajesh reiterated that the audio recording captured the victims crying out in pain and being ordered to sit and lie down before gunshots were heard.
“What the police had claimed earlier simply does not add up. We believe the narrative is fabricated,” he said.
He added that public confidence would remain low as long as the police are allowed to investigate themselves.
On Nov 24, Melaka Police Chief Deputy Comm Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar reportedly said that three criminals, aged between 24 and 29, were shot dead after one of them attacked a policeman with a machete at an oil palm plantation in Durian Tunggal.
The 4.30am incident left a corporal, in his early 30s, seriously injured in his left arm.
The suspects, who are believed to be affiliated with the Durian Tunggal Gang, were reportedly apprehended while en route to commit a robbery.
The gang had reportedly been active since early 2024 and is linked to 20 cases in Melaka and one case each in Negri Sembilan and Selangor, causing losses amounting to RM1.35mil.
