Rayer warns delay in Durian Tunggal shooting inquest could fuel cover-up suspicions

DAP's Jelutong MP RSN Rayer has warned that the delay in commencing an inquest into the fatal police shooting of three men in Durian Tunggal, Malacca, could fuel public suspicions of a cover-up.

His remarks follow a written parliamentary reply by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail yesterday, in which the minister denied that the government had deliberately delayed the inquest.

Rayer said, however, that the delay would be perceived by the public and the victims' families as an attempt to conceal what actually happened during the shooting.

Asked by Malaysiakini whether he would escalate the matter, Rayer said: "Yes, I certainly will. Especially in Parliament."

On Nov 24 last year, police shot dead M Puspanathan, T Poovaneswaran, and G Logeswaran, aged between 24 and 29.

Malacca police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar had defended the shooting, claiming that one of the men attacked and injured a police officer with a machete.

However, the families disputed the police account after an audio recording, purportedly of a phone call made by one of the men during the incident, surfaced. The recording raised questions about the circumstances of the shooting and whether the trio had been killed in cold blood.

Public outcry over the killings eventually prompted Bukit Aman to open a murder investigation. Following a review of the investigation papers, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) ordered an inquest in July.

Prosecute, not hold an inquest

Separately, lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who represents the victims' families, dismissed Saifuddin's response as an "excuse" and a "cop-out".

In a statement, he questioned why no one had been charged despite the AGC having directed that the killings be investigated as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

"Where is that murder investigation? Why has nobody been charged?" he asked.

Rajesh reiterated the families' demand for prosecutions rather than an inquest, saying they deserved answers and accountability for the deaths.

"An inquest is no substitute for a murder trial, and it must not become a device to buy time," he added.

READ MORE: Durian Tunggal shooting: 'Inquest unnecessary', lawyers call AG to prosecute or resign

Post-mortem findings

The families' calls for accountability intensified after a post-mortem report released on July 7 appeared to support their account of the incident.

The report found that two of the men had been shot in the head, while the third had sustained a close-range gunshot wound to the chest, with the bullet travelling downwards.

Following the findings, Rajesh said the families wanted all officers involved in the shooting arrested and remanded on suspicion of murder.

The case has also drawn repeated calls from lawmakers for the investigation to be expedited and those responsible prosecuted.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, who is also the DAP national chairperson, had urged Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar to explain the delay in delivering justice.

Gobind noted that although police had reclassified the case as murder in December last year, no definitive legal action had been taken more than eight months after the incident.

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