Probe on 3 men shot dead by police in Melaka to be reclassified as murder
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vows transparent investigation “with no compromise” amid mounting public scrutiny and objections from the families of the three men.
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KUALA LUMPUR: A fatal shooting of three men in Melaka last month by the police is to be reclassified as a murder investigation after an order by Malaysia’s Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday (Dec 16) reiterating his pledge of a “thorough and transparent” probe.
The AGC’s order and Anwar’s latest remarks come amid mounting public scrutiny and objections from the families of the three men.
The AGC’s decision was welcomed by the men’s families as well as a lawmaker, who said it raised further questions.
M Kulasegaran, deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), questioned on Wednesday what the investigation was previously classified as, and why it was not a murder investigation at the outset.
“Under what provision was the investigation originally classified and why was a murder investigation not initiated at the outset?” Kulasegaran said in a statement.
“While the reclassification is welcomed, public trust in our institutions can only be maintained if the investigation is conducted swiftly and thoroughly.”
Some local media reports said the case was previously investigated as attempted murder.
The families dispute the police’s account of the Nov 24 incident in Durian Tunggal, a township in Melaka’s central district.
The police said the three men, aged 21 to 29, were shot dead by an officer after one of them swung a machete at the cops. The incident occurred at an oil palm plantation at about 4am, with the police saying that an officer suffered serious injuries to his left hand.
Melaka police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar earlier said the officers had “no choice but to fire at them in self-defence”.
He added that the three men – M Puspanathan, 21, T Poovaneswaran, 24, and G Logeswaran, 29 – were believed to be on their way to rob a premise and had been committing crimes since 2024.
Purportedly known as the “Durian Tunggal Gang”, they had allegedly been involved in about 20 cases in Melaka and one each in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor that resulted in total losses of RM1.35 million (US$330,194), reported news outlet Malay Mail.
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KILLINGS WERE “EXECUTION-STYLE”, SAY FAMILIES
Their families have disputed the police’s narrative, prompting calls for an inquest and an independent inquiry.
At a press conference on Dec 3, the families’ legal team released a 13-minute audio recording said to capture the final moments before the shooting.
The recording was part of a phone conversation between Logeswaran and his partner, identified as Jayashree, who claimed it suggested the men were cooperating with officers at the time.
In the recording, which has been circulated online, Logeswaran is heard telling her that an unmarked Perodua Aruz vehicle was following them, and she urges him to head to the nearest police station.
The vehicle stalled minutes later and the recording then captured shouts and pleas for help, New Straits Times reported.
One of the men could be heard saying, “please don’t, I have a child” in Malay moments before loud bangs believed to be gunfire sounded.
One of the families’ lawyers, Rajesh Nagarajan, said forensic findings, together with post-mortem reports showing downward bullet angles, pointed to extrajudicial “execution-style” killings.
“It is very obvious that all of them must have been kneeling down. This must have been an execution-style killing,” he was quoted as saying on Dec 3 by Free Malaysia Today.
The families’ legal team has also demanded the immediate suspension of all officers involved.
Arun Dorasamy, founder of non-governmental organisation Agamam Ani, said at the press conference that the recording allegedly contradicted the police’s claims.
According to Arun, the trio had been heading to Kuala Lumpur for a special 48-day religious prayer observance, not to commit burglary.
“RIGHT THING TO DO”: FAMILIES
On Tuesday, the AGC said based on case briefings and recommendations submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police, it has agreed to direct that the investigation be reclassified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the offence of murder.
“A preliminary review by the AGC found that several further actions still need to be taken by the police to complete the investigation before any final decision can be made,” said the AGC in a statement.
On Tuesday, PM Anwar told Parliament that the Inspector-General of Police and the Royal Malaysia Police’s Criminal Investigation Department – which has taken over the case – have assured him the probe would be conducted thoroughly and transparenty “with no compromise”. Their report was submitted on Tuesday to the AGC for further action.
Anwar was responding to Senator Amir Ghazali, who asked for details on how the government plans to tighten oversight of law enforcement and curb misconduct and inefficiencies within agencies, including the police.
Earlier this month, Anwar had also commented on the case, saying: “We do not protect criminals nor do we protect any actions by police personnel that go against the rule of law.”
The families of the three men have welcomed the AGC’s decision to reclassify the investigation as murder, describing it as “the right thing to do”.
In a joint statement, their lawyers said: “The families, the widows, parents and children of those who were killed cannot get back their loved ones, but at the very least they are entitled to justice under the law.”
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