Police took away Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, senior party member Chee Siok Chin, and at least four others after they led a group of about two dozen in a protest outside Parliament House.

The six were escorted to a police van and driven away about an hour after the afternoon protest started.

Police gave no immediate comment, and party members could not be reached on their cell phones.

The party was protesting against recent hikes in transport fares and last year's sales tax increase, among other government moves the opposition party said has contributed to the country's highest inflation rate in a quarter century.

Protesters wore red T-shirts printed with the words: 'Tak boleh tahan!' The commonly used Malay expression loosely translates as, 'I cannot take it anymore!'

On the pavement outside the heavily guarded Parliament House, the protesters laid out packets of rice, sugar, a bottle of oil, and other items that have become more expensive in recent months.

'The crushing burden on working folks gets even more unbearable,' the party had said in an earlier statement asking the public to join the rally. 'Our elderly poor continue to break their backs just to eke out a miserable existence. Many cannot even afford three square meals.'

Inflation rose to 6.6 per cent in Singapore in January, a 25-year high, with housing and food costs rising much faster than analysts predicted.

The government last month unveiled a national budget offering income tax rebates and cash handouts to citizens in a bid to alleviate the impact of rising inflation.

Protests are rare in tightly controlled Singapore, where police permits are required for outdoor gatherings of more than four people. -- AP