JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Eight men were arrested in connection with the murder of a mother and her 16-year-old daughter at a house in Taman Puteri Wangsa in Malaysia's Johor.

State police chief Comm Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said that two of the suspects were detained while trying to flee to Kuala Lumpur on an express bus at the North-South Expressway near Pagoh.

Earlier, after a tip-off from the public, five men, aged 18 to 20, were arrested in Pelangi Indah on Wednesday (Sept 21). The eighth suspect was picked up at 3am on Thursday (Sept 22).

"The two suspects in their 20s, who were trying to escape to Kuala Lumpur, had been detained at KM142.4 near Pagoh area here," Wan Ahmad said in a statement on Thursday.

He said police seized a few items believed to belong to the victims from the two suspects.

"All of the suspects will be remanded," he added.

On Wednesday, the bodies of Madam M. Mariayee, 56, and Ms C. Durga Devi were found with multiple slash wounds at about 10.30am at a house in Jalan Beladau 40, Taman Puteri Wangsa.

Madam Mariayee's three-year-old granddaughter, who was also in the house, was not harmed.

Madam Mariayee was found with slash wounds to the left ribs, neck and body while Ms Durga had wounds on her abdomen, neck, mouth and arms. They were discovered by a family member.

The police did not immediately rule out the possibility that the murder was for revenge, as the daughter had been "stalked" by a man recently.

Ms Durga's teacher, who declined to be named, said that the victim had previously informed her teachers that she was being followed by a man.

"The man even came to school on Tuesday and told that he was there to pick up the girl during school time.

"However, alert teachers prevented her from leaving," she said, adding that she was saddened by the incident as Ms Durga was her student.

Meanwhile, Ms Durga's elder brother, Mr C. Perabakaran, 33, who found the bodies, said that he was there to pick up his daughter when he heard her crying in the room.

"I suspected something amiss when the house doors and gates were open. I was shocked to find the bodies in the room along with my frightened daughter.

"I immediately alerted my father who was out at work," he said, adding that five people lived in the house.