Shooting of three men in Melaka: PM certain rules have been broken

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for the police to conduct a transparent investigation into the shooting of three Indian men by Durian Tunggal police as he was certain that certain rules seem to have been broken during the incident.

“I have instructed the Inspector-General of Police (Khalid Ismail) to carry out a transparent investigation and not to protect anyone.

“We do not protect criminals, and we also do not protect actions, including those by the police, that go against the rule of law.

“Although we welcome the police’s firmness in taking action against criminals and those who break the law, several complaints regarding matters that contradict established processes and procedures should be investigated transparently and openly,” he said after Friday prayers at the Cyberjaya 10 mosque.

Khalid has been instructed to submit a detailed report to home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail once the police conclude their investigation.

Melaka police initially investigated the Nov 24 incident for attempted murder under Section 307 of the Penal Code, after police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar claimed the trio were serial robbers who had attacked an officer with a parang.

However, lawyers representing the families of the three men – M Puspanathan, 21, T Poovaneswaran, 24, and G Logeswaran, 29 – said an audio recording and forensic evidence suggested that the men were killed “execution-style”.

Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department has taken over the case.

MIC deputy president M Saravanan also said yesterday he had sent Anwar a letter calling for an independent commission of inquiry into the shooting and examine the evidence fairly.

DAP national advisor Lim Guan Eng had urged for Anwar’s intervention for an independent probe.