A lawyer for the families of the three men killed by Melaka police last month argues that neither the marital status nor any criminal record of people connected to the case should influence the assessment of what happened. This follows Melaka police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar’s remarks about a woman who recorded an audio clip of the shooting, who reportedly claimed to be the wife of one of the victims but was not married to him. Dzulkhairi said the two had only a three-year relationship and that the woman has a history of ten criminal cases since 2012.
Rajesh Nagarajan, who represents the families alongside Sachpreetraj Singh, told Free Malaysia Today that the police chief’s comments are a distracting attempt to shift focus away from the core issue. He also noted it is troubling that while personal details are being publicly aired, statements from the officers who fired the shots have not yet been recorded, raising concerns about transparency, impartiality, and potential institutional self-protection.
“Whether she was legally married or had any prior record is completely irrelevant to the killing of three men by police gunfire on November 24,” Nagarajan said. “These remarks do not affect the legality, necessity, or proportionality of the police’s use of lethal force. This inquiry is about state-perpetrated killings, not about personal relationships or morality.”
He described the media focus on private lives as a calculated move to smear the dead and their families, distract the public, and pre-empt accountability. Such tactics, he added, undermine public trust in the integrity of the investigation and reflect poorly on a senior law enforcement official.
Nagarajan also criticized the timing of the public statements, noting that the Bukit Aman CID had already taken over the probe and questioning why the Melaka police chief would speak out instead of allowing the official process to proceed.
Initially, Melaka police categorized the incident as attempted murder, based on Dzulkhairi’s claim that the three men were serial robbers who attacked an officer with a parang. Lawyers for the families, however, say audio recordings and forensic evidence indicate the men were killed in an execution-style manner.
Recently, the IGP Khalid Ismail announced that police had received a CD containing an audio recording believed to be a phone conversation between one of the victims and his wife prior to the incident. He pledged a thorough and professional investigation to determine whether misconduct occurred.
The case has sparked calls for an inquest and an independent inquiry. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim directed the police to conduct a transparent investigation, and the IGP was instructed to submit a detailed report to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail after Bukit Aman CID completes its work.
Nagarajan also questioned why the Melaka police chief was issuing public statements while Bukit Aman had taken charge of the investigation, reiterating that such interference is inappropriate. He emphasized that no amount of character assassination can obscure the central truth: three lives were taken unlawfully, and the police must be held fully accountable under the law.
Would you consider these reactions and the handling of the investigation fair, or do you think more independent oversight is still necessary? Share your thoughts in the comments.
