The two men, in their early twenties, chased and attacked each other after a row in a coffee shop on Borneo island, the report said on Friday. They died before police arrived at the scene, it added.

Malaysia relies heavily on foreign workers, particularly in the construction and agricultural sectors. Out of the 2.3 million migrant workforce, about 1.1 million are from Indonesia.

Local police chief Sulaiman Abdul Razak said the fight resulted from a misunderstanding.

'They were with their respective groups of friends at the coffee shop. The others did not get involved. We are trying to find out where the dead were from in Indonesia,' he said. -- AFP