The Tapah MP said he had also written to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, urging him to set up an independent inquiry into the deaths of M Puspanathan, 21, T Poovaneswaran, 24, and G Logeswaran, 29, without delay.

The former minister said that only an independent body could examine the evidence fairly, including an audio recording produced by the families which allegedly contradicted the police’s claims that the trio were shot in self-defence.

In his letter to Anwar, Saravanan said the commission must have full powers to review forensic evidence, the audio recording, and police SOPs, and that its findings should be made public.

“A free body must be given the authority to examine all evidence,” Saravanan said in a statement.

A similar letter was also sent to home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

“This is not about blaming the entire police force, but about upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice for the families involved.

“The public must be assured that the investigation is impartial, transparent, and free from any conflict of interest,” Saravanan said.

He also called for the immediate suspension of all officers involved, stating that their continued presence within the force undermined public trust.

The three men were shot dead by police in a Durian Tunggal plantation on Nov 24, with officers claiming they acted in self-defence after one of the men attacked them with a parang.

However, the families disputed this account and had produced an audio clip they said contradicted the version given by the police, prompting Bukit Aman to take over the case.