Anwar told the Dewan Negara that Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail had assured him that the investigation into the trio’s death was conducted in a proper and transparent manner.

“There is no tolerance (for any wrongdoing here),” he said in reply to a question from Senator Amir Ghazali.

However, Anwar said there was a need to distinguish between policemen who cross the line in carrying out their duties, which should not be ignored, and those who use appropriate force in response to criminals endangering their lives.

“That is why we are asking the police to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the law,” he added.

Anwar also said members of the public could reach out to oversight bodies like the Independent Police Conduct Commission and Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission to report any misconduct by the authorities.

Melaka police initially said the trio – M Puspanathan, 21, T Poovaneswaran, 24, and G Logeswaran, 29 – were serial robbers who were shot dead after allegedly attacking policemen with a parang.

However, lawyers representing the families of the deceased said an audio recording and forensic evidence suggested that the men were killed execution-style.

The families also handed the cops a CD containing an audio recording allegedly of a phone conversation between one of the deceased and his wife before the incident.

The case has led to calls for an inquest and an independent inquiry.