Malacca shooting probe: PN MPs warn state's top cop not to undermine witness

Perikatan Nasional MPs have warned police not to say anything that could influence public perception or undermine a probe into allegations that officers had killed three people in cold blood.

This is after Malacca police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar revealed details about a key witness in the case, which was perceived to have undermined her credibility.

Coalition chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said the MPs were unsettled by Dzulkhairi’s latest revelations that a woman who was reported as the wife of one of the men shot dead was not legally married to the man, and she had a criminal record of her own.

According to Berita Harian, Dzulkhairi told the media this on Friday, saying that the man instead has a wife in Johor, but has been living with the woman for the last three years.

He said the woman had 10 prior criminal records, including for armed robbery and attempted murder, while her father also had a criminal past and is wanted in connection with a robbery case.

Though the woman was not named in the media reports, Dzulkhairi is referring to a woman who has only identified herself as Jayashree.

Jayashree had recorded a conversation with G Logeswaran, which captured the moment that the latter and two others were allegedly killed by police officers.

The audio recording indicated the men had surrendered to police and begged them for mercy before they were apparently shot.

Prior to the release of the recording, Dzulkhairi had claimed the officers had shot the trio down in self-defence after one of the suspects allegedly attacked the police with a machete.

Bukit Aman has since taken over the investigation.

Unprofessional remarks

Takiyuddin said police must remain professional and refrain from making remarks that introduce bias.

"Public statements that appear to intentionally reveal information or the past about an individual and their family, giving a negative impression about the witness or casting aspersions on individuals related to a case while an investigation is ongoing, could potentially give the wrong impression and lead to premature conclusions.

"Such a situation, whether intentional or not, could influence public sentiment and undermine the integrity of the investigation," he said in a statement on behalf of the PN lawmakers today.

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan - who is representing the families of the men shot dead - criticised Dzulkhairi for disclosing details which were not relevant to the case.

"Whether she (Jayashree) was legally married or had any prior record is entirely irrelevant to the killing of three men by police gunfire on Nov 24.

“These comments have no bearing whatsoever on the legality, necessity, or proportionality of the use of lethal force by the police,” he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today yesterday.

Rajesh pointed out that this was not an inquiry into moral or personal relationships but into state-perpetrated killing.

“The attempt to publicly dissect private lives appears calculated to smear the dead and their families, distract public attention, and pre-empt accountability.

“Such tactics are unbecoming of a senior law enforcement officer and undermine public confidence in the integrity of the investigation," he added.

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