Johor police deputy chief Zakaria Ahmad said the incident took place at about 2.30am in Jalan Jemeluang on the way to Mersing near Felcra Sungai Ara.
He said a team of policemen from the Johor Serious Crimes Division, conducting an anti-crime operation, ordered the men, in their 30s and believed to be Indonesians, to stop the motorcycle they were riding without crash helmets.
However, they ignored the order and turned into a lane in an oil palm estate, he added.
“The motorcycle skidded and the two men fell. The policemen ordered them to surrender, but one of the men opened fire at the policemen,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
The policemen returned fire in self-defence and killed the shooter on the spot, he said.
“The other man then charged at the policemen with a machete and they also shot him dead,” he added.
Zakaria said the men did not have any identification documents on them, but police believe they were from Indonesia.
The motorcycle, a Honda Wave, was reported stolen after a robbery in Mersing last September, where the owner was killed with a sharp weapon, he said.
“We recovered several tools, including a steel cutter and a crowbar, believed to have been used for breaking into homes, a home-made pistol and four mobile phones,” he said.
It is believed that the men were on their way to commit robbery at a nearby housing estate, he said.
He also said it was believed that they were involved in a robbery and murder in Mersing last September and a robbery in Taman Scientex, Pasir Gudang, this month.
The bodies were sent to Kota Tinggi Hospital, he said.