Malacca shooting: Phone that recorded damning audio handed to cops

The counsel representing the families of three men fatally shot by the police in Durian Tunggal, Malacca, confirmed that authorities have taken the mobile phone, which contains an audio recording of the incident, as part of their investigation.

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said the audio, recorded by one of the men’s wives, a woman known only as Jayashree, proved that there was no attack on the police, as previously alleged.

“We will hand over the basic tools needed to the police for them to investigate.

“The allegations that there was an attack are a fabrication because there is absolutely no evidence in the audio (to suggest the attack).

“Instead, we could only hear the three men screaming in pain and instructions were given to them to sit, lie down, and others. So, what the police said makes no sense at all,” he told reporters outside Bukit Aman today.

Rajesh added that the victims’ family members had also been summoned to give statements under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code to assist in the investigation, more than a week after police reports were lodged.

Later at a press conference, the lawyer said that the Forensics Department under the Digital Ministry has retrieved the phone containing the audio recording.

“The department has extracted the original audio and taken a sample of Jayashree’s voice to compare it with the audio in the phone to ensure its authenticity,” Rajesh added.

Officer attacked with machete

On Nov 24, the police shot and killed the men, aged between 24 and 29, after one of them allegedly swung a machete at a police officer in an oil palm plantation in Durian Tunggal.

Malacca police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar defended his team’s actions, adding that the incident allegedly caused a corporal, in his early 30s, to suffer severe injuries to his left arm.

However, the family’s lawyers rejected the police’s version of events.

The lawyers claimed the audio recording indicated that the men were already in police custody for more than 10 minutes before they were shot and killed.

On Dec 4, Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department director, M Kumar, said a special task force had been established to investigate the matter.

‘What is Kumar doing?’

Rajesh also took pot shots at Kumar today, saying the senior police officer has yet to inform the families or lawyers whether they are investigating the officers implicated for alleged murder.

“What is Kumar doing? Why hasn’t it been classified yet? Is he under pressure?” the lawyer asked.

Rajesh also questioned whether the police officers involved in the case have faced any action, such as being suspended or placed on leave, while the investigation is ongoing.

On the task force established to investigate the case, Rajesh said the victims’ families have yet to be informed of who its members are.

“We have written a letter to Bukit Aman, but no reply. What are they waiting for?” he said.

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