It said the decision to reclassify the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code was made following a briefing by the police and recommendations that were submitted.

“A preliminary review by the AGC found that several further actions still need to be taken by the police to complete the investigation before any final decision can be made,” the AGC said in a statement.

On Nov 24, three men were shot dead by Melaka police, who claimed that the trio were serial robbers who had attacked an officer with a parang.

Melaka police initially investigated the incident for attempted murder. However, lawyers representing the families of M Puspanathan, 21, T Poovaneswaran, 24, and G Logeswaran, 29, said an audio recording and forensic evidence suggested that the men were killed “execution-style”.

On Dec 7, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said police had received a CD which contained an audio recording believed to be that of a phone conversation between one of the men who was shot and his wife before the incident.

He pledged that police would investigate the shooting thoroughly and professionally to determine whether any wrongdoing had occurred.

The case has led to calls for an inquest and an independent inquiry, while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered the police to ensure that the investigation is carried out transparently.

The IGP was also instructed to submit a detailed report to home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail once the Bukit Aman criminal investigation department had concluded its investigation.