Pakatan Harapan Youth's protest against the high fuel prices outside Parliament got off to a rough start in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Just 15 minutes into their protest which officially began at 1am, the group of 20 protesters took down the four tents they had pitched at the junction leading to the Parliament gates, after a friendly exchange with police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers.

Things became slightly tense 20 minutes later when the protesters declined to stow away their dismantled tents after being told to do so by a DBKL officer.

"We're not here for fun. We've left our wives and children at home," Amanah Youth deputy chief Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin told the authorities.

The DBKL officer replied: "I've left my wife and kids at home too."

"I also feel the pinch from the rising fuel prices," the officer, who declined to be named, added.

Last Thursday, fuel prices reached a record high since the new weekly managed-float system was introduced in March.

RON95 went up by seven sen to RM2.38 per litre, while RON97 rose six sen to RM2.66 per litre.

Meanwhile, diesel was up five sen to RM2.25 per litre.

The DBKL officer insisted that the protesters properly pack up their tents due to the concern that protesters could pitch them again.

The protesters relented, stowing away two of the tents while the other two were used as makeshift mats.

Another DBKL officer had earlier told the protesters that they were free to "stand at the area until morning".

The city hall officer told Malaysiakini that the protesters must first obtain permission to pitch the tents.

"I'm not sure under which provision but tents cannot be pitched in public areas," he said.

By 2.45am, the DBKL officers had left the area while police presence also decreased.

Shazni, earlier, told Malaysiakini that they plan to distribute flyers and have flash mobs in the morning.

"Depending on the crowd, we might have a press conference at 1pm and we will have a speaker's corner and poetry recital at night," he said.

The protest against the fuel hike, which was planned to last 42 hours, is expected to end at 6pm on Wednesday.

Fuel prices have gone up for five consecutive weeks.

The government said yesterday it would only move to mitigate rising fuel costs if RON95 and diesel prices exceed RM2.50 per litre for more than three months in a row.