Two Malaysian men have been sentenced to death by hanging for the 2001 murder of a Singaporean actress.

After a year-long trial, the High Court yesterday found make-up artist Esma Faizul Zainul Nor, 38, and unemployed Mohamad Fazli Ismail, 27, guilty of murdering Una Angelia Oliveiro, Esma's lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad told AFP .

"The judge felt that the confessions that Esma and Mohamad Fazli had made to their friends that they killed Oliveiro with a knife from her kitchen, were reliable and so found the two guilty of murder and sentenced them to death by hanging," Amer said.

Oliveiro, who acted in a Malaysian sitcom, was found with stab wounds in the dining room of her bungalow eight years ago, the Star daily reported. She was 44.

"There is not even an iota of (defence) evidence which could make the court not believe the testimony given by witnesses who heard confessions from both accused," Judge Mohamed Apandi Ali said, according to the daily.

Amer said he would be filing an appeal as there was evidence to show that a third person had been present and could have committed the murder after the two men had left Oliveiro's home.