A group of protesters in Malaysia wants to bare their anger. Literally.

Naked protests are not unusual in countries like Spain, Britain and the United States but one does not expect the concept to suddenly crop up in mainly Muslim Malaysia.

A previously-unknown group said it was so outraged by a proposal by the Selangor state government to double rental rates under a housing scheme for the poor that it planned to stage a butt-naked protest in front of the Menteri Besar's office.

The Gerakan Reformis Rakyat Malaysia, or Malaysian People's Reformist Movement, said the nude protest is their "last resort".

They are asking for talks with Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim but it is unclear if they have received any response.

Observers noted that if the nude protest really did take place, it would be a first.

"We've seen many demonstrations before and after the 12th general elections, including the Penguin Walk, the Yellow March, Hindraf and the on-going anti-ISA vigils. None of them has done it naked," prominent blogger Ahiruddin Atan, or rockybru, wrote on his blog.

Some people are already cracking jokes, saying that it would be the first protest that police would not have to bother with strip searches.

Although the prospect remains highly unlikely, and perhaps even surreal, the police are not taking any chances and have warned that they will take firm action against anyone taking part in such an assembly.

Politicians from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which rules Selangor, have condemned the very idea of a nude protest as un-Islamic and immature. The state Islamic enforcement department said it would not hesitate to issue RM1,000 fines to anyone protesting naked in public.

The Spiritual Leader of opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia, Nik Aziz Nik Mat described such a demonstration as tilting towards someone with no culture or perhaps for "monkeys".

"Even a cow, although it is totally naked, has a tail created by God so that its private parts would be covered, what more humans who are given brains," he was quoted as saying on Monday by Bernama news agency.

In Malaysia, gatherings of more than four people are actually illegal under the country's laws, yet the country is no stranger to anti-government protests.

Since late last year especially, there have been a slew of protests from the big Hindraf demonstration near the Petronas Twin Towers last November to smaller-scale ones to protest inner-city vehicle tolls.

The Abolish the ISA Movement (GMI) have been organising regular candlelight vigils to protest the harsh Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial.

Protests in Malaysia tend to be peaceful and without any untoward incident, but sometimes the police have taken action by arresting those taking part or spraying water cannons at them. Once in a while, teargas is brought out.

If Gerakan Reformis does indeed go ahead and bare more than their souls, they will have to bear in mind that there will be nothing to protect their skins from chemically-laced water if the riot police take aim with their water cannons.