Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian police patrol unit was attacked by a group of illegal motorcycle racers who lashed out after they were ordered to disperse, a news report said Monday.

 A police patrol unit in the southern Johor state went to stop an illegal race early Sunday after hearing complaints from local residents.

After managing to disperse most of the racers, a group of the suspects started kicking and banging on the patrol car and threatening the officers, the New Straits Times daily said.

Police sent reinforcements to quell the disturbance, district police chief Ruslan Hassan.

Authorities detained 37 males aged 14 to 30, and impounded 29 motorcycles, the report said.

'Although no one was hurt in the incident, police view the case seriously,' the paper quoted Ruslan as saying. 'We cannot tolerate such audacity.'

Illegal racing is rampant in the capital Kuala Lumpur as well as in cities in Penang and Johor states. The racers usually gather late at night on major roads and disperse when police arrive.