Bold claim first: new evidence challenges the police timeline of the Melaka shooting, prompting fresh questions about what truly happened that night.
Three families are disputing the police version of events surrounding the Durian Tunggal incident in Melaka, saying new material raises doubts about where and when the shooting occurred. The evidence, allegedly anonymous, arrived at activist Arun Dorasamy’s Seksyen 14 office on Saturday, December 13.
Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan explained that the envelope contained a letter and time-stamped photos showing the car carrying the three men. The sender asserts that PLUS maintenance crews spotted the vehicle in the emergency lane at KM224 on the North-South Expressway on November 24, and notified tow truck operators.
According to the letter, the first tow truck arrived at 1:25 a.m. and observed police at the scene, while the sender arrived at 2:21 a.m. to find only the car remaining. This timeline seems to conflict with police statements that the shooting occurred at 4:00 a.m. at a palm oil plantation.
Rajesh noted that the letter and photos align with a phone-call recording already provided to the police. He said the teams will submit the documents to law enforcement after filing a report.
The lawyer dismissed claims by Melaka Police Chief Deputy Commissioner Dzulkhairi Mukhtar that a 31-year-old woman—described as the wife of one victim—has a record of police involvement in previous cases. He argued that while she has given statements to various investigations, she has not been convicted, and questioned why her marital status should matter, whether traditional or legal.
Rajesh urged the Bukit Aman special task force to increase transparency in the investigation, noting there have been no updates so far. He also called on the Home Minister and the Police Inspector-General to consider placing DCP Dzulkhairi on leave or transferring him to prevent perceived interference, since Bukit Aman is supposed to handle the case.
The families seek an independent, transparent inquiry and reiterated their cooperation with authorities.
Police initial statements on November 24 reported that three men, ages 24 to 29, were killed after one allegedly attacked a policeman with a machete at an oil-palm plantation in Durian Tunggal. The incident left a corporal in his early 30s with a serious left-arm injury. The suspects, linked to the Durian Tunggal Gang, were believed to be en route to commit robberies. The gang is associated with 20 Melaka cases and one each in Negri Sembilan and Selangor, with total losses estimated at RM1.35 million.
Earlier, IGP Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said police received a compact disc from a suspect’s family member on December 6, which reportedly contains an audio recording of a phone conversation between one suspect and his wife before the incident.
