After the brutal suppression of weekend demonstrations in the Malaysian capital against hikes in fuel oil and electricity prices, stunned civil society groups are revising a view that there would be more room for dissent under Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's administration.

Sunday's protest in Kuala Lumpur were the latest in a series of periodic weekend demonstrations mounted ever since fuel oil prices were first hiked at the end of February.

Last Wednesday, the Cabinet approved a 12 percent hike in electricity tariffs, sparking concern even though 60 percent of consumers - those who use less than 200kWh a month - would not be affected.

Opposition parties and civil society groups have said they fear that higher electricity tariffs will raise the production costs for manufacturers, which in turn will lead to higher prices of essential items. The government argues that the impact is likely to be minimal.