Durian Tunggal police shootout: Dzulkhairi’s misunderstanding disturbing, using office for taunts, bravado, say lawyers

The Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar’s dare to the lawyers to sue him shows that he has a disturbing misunderstanding of the matter. He was also taken to task for using his office as a platform for taunts and bravado.

The lawyers – Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal – also pointed out that Dzulkhairi’s ignorance on a fundamental point of law.

“The flippant challenge to “sue me if I’m wrong” betrays a disturbing misunderstanding of the gravity of this matter. This is not a spectacle, nor is it a contest of machismo. Three lives have been lost, and with them, the peace and dignity of their families,” the duo said in a joint statement.

“The office of a state police chief is not a platform for taunts or bravado — it is a position entrusted with restraint, impartiality, and accountability.

“Particularly reprehensible is the attempt to malign the character of one of the victim’s spouses by alleging that she has a “criminal record”. This assertion is not merely misleading — it is legally untenable and morally indefensible.

“For the avoidance of doubt, and for the information of Dzulkhairi who appears confused on this fundamental point of law:

“A criminal record arises only upon conviction by a court of law. Being investigated, questioned, or even arrested does not constitute a criminal record. To suggest otherwise is either a reckless misstatement or a deliberate attempt to smear a grieving widow in order to distract from the central and unavoidable issue — the killing of three men by the police.

“Such conduct is beneath the dignity of public office and amounts to victim-blaming of the most cynical kind. If Datuk Dzulkhairi maintains this allegation, then he must substantiate it with verifiable court records. Failing that, the statement ought to be withdrawn immediately, unreservedly and a public apology made.

Dzulkhairi courted the ire of the lawyers after he revealed that the witness in Durian Tunggal shootout case that had multiple criminal records and was not married to the victim.

The trio who were shot dead on Nov 24 were Puspanathan Murulitharan, 21; Poonesvaran Tiagarajan, 24; and Logeswaran Georgie, 29.

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