Following strong protests by India, Malaysia on Tuesday said it would investigate the "allegations" of detention and maltreatment of about 270 Indians, including IT professionals, by its police.

"We have received the protest from the Indian government. There are a number of serious allegations of abuse of power and wrongdoing as well as mistreatment made against the police," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in the lobby of the Malaysian parliament.

"We take such complaints very seriously and we will investigate the matter in a transparent manner and let the Indian government know the outcome of this investigation," Albar said.

He said it was not that the police wanted to raid Indian nationals. "It is an ongoing exercise to eliminate illegals in our country."

Albar said as per the records, the police had arrested 165 people on Sunday -- Indian and other nationals -- and all but six Indians and three Pakistanis were released.

He said the police had acted on a tip-off that there were illegals staying in the Palm Court Condominiums. "In performing their legitimate duties they went to their apartments and asked for their documents... many of them did not possess documents and those who did were immediately released."