KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17: Lawyers representing the families of three men who were shot dead by the police in Durian Tunggal, Melaka on Nov 24, 2025, have expressed deep concern over the recent public statements made by the Melaka State Police Chief, Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar, in relation to the deaths of three individuals.
“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 office of a state police chief is not a platform for taunts or bravado — it is a position entrusted with restraint, impartiality, and accountability,” the lawyers, Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh said in a statement released today.
“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.”
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 Failing that, the statement ought to be withdrawn immediately, unreservedly and a public apology made.
The statement said that the grieving families were also not interested in trading insults through the media and were only seeking one thing – that the truth is established through a credible, independent, and transparent process.
“They will pursue accountability through all lawful means until the circumstances surrounding these deaths are fully and honestly explained, and until responsibility — wherever it lies — is borne.”
–WE