Demonstrators marched in Kuala Lumpur on the weekend in what has become a series of protests against the government after it imposed the country's biggest-ever fuel price hike.

Some 100 protestors chanted "Protest!" and "Petrol prices must come down!" along the narrow streets of a crammed shopping district near Masjid India.

Riot police and water cannons, which usually stand guard during such public protests, were absent.

One booklet handed out to shoppers, drivers and stall-owners attacked the state-owned energy firm Petronas.

It also slammed Deputy Premier Najib Razak, who is also defence minister, for telling Malaysians to change their lifestyles.

Najib's RM5 mil home improvement

"While Malaysians are told to scrimp, the deputy prime minister himself is not doing so," the booklet said, citing Najib's home refurbishment which cost RM5 million.

Demonstrators included supporters from the hardline Islamic opposition PAS, DAP, PKR, Parti Sosialist Malaysia (PSM) and rights group Suaram.

"What we are doing is going down to the people and explaining the issue," PSM secretary general S Arutchelvan told AFP .

Last month the price of petrol and diesel was raised by 30 sen per litre to RM1.92 and RM1.58 ringgit respectively.

The government has said that fuel subsidies will eventually be scrapped in the years to channel funds towards building schools and rural infrastructure.

Fuel prices in Malaysia are cheap compared to neighbouring nations, but due to the lack of public transportation, people remain dependent on their vehicles.