Police arrested three senior citizens for allegedly making false statements on Facebook regarding the Feb 18 road collision which killed eight teen cyclists in Johor.

Two, who both carry the title 'Datuk', are remanded for three days, while the other is remanded for two days, Bernama reported.

Johor police chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said they were arrested separatedly in Perak, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur with two nabbed last night and another this morning.

One of them, aged 65, was arrested for allegedly inciting cyclists to protest before the Johor Sultan and police.

Police confiscated two SIM cards and one mobile phone believed to have been used to make the posting, during the arrest in Ipoh at about 10pm, he said in a statement, the newswire reported.

The other two, who are aged 61 and 64, were arrested in Taman Sri Gombak, Batu Caves, Selangor and Villa Taman Tasik, Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Kuala Lumpur.

Police also seized their mobile phones and SIM cards, he said.

They are probed under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, Section 4 of the Sedition Act and Section 500 of the Penal Code.

"We advice the public not to abuse any application to make false statements or statements which could offend, threaten or annoy others.

"We arvice the public against making any statement through any computer application, which could undermine public peace," he is quoted as saying.

This comes after Johor prince Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim criticised attempts to promote hate and racialise the bicycle tragedy in the state.

The full invitation sighted by Malaysiakini read: “Protest against Chinese woman who was not jailed or fined and was let off by police just like that”.

“What is this ridiculous notice going around? Is this how civilised Johoreans behave? Stop playing the blame game.

“I hope Bangsa Johor do not attend this gathering to promote such hate towards an individual. And don’t make it into a racial issue,” said Tunku Idris, who is the Tunku Temenggong of Johor.

Tunku Idris said the driver had “more rights to be on that highway than the underage kids on bicycles with no helmets and no protection gears on”.

“I’ve personally had experience with these children swerving dangerously in front of my car before,” he said.