updated version

(AFP) The High Court today sentenced three members of a Muslim sect to death by hanging for planning a "holy war" to topple Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The other 16 members also found guilty of treason were given life sentences in their attempt to set up an Islamic state.

Announcing his decision to a packed courtroom in the first trial of its kind, Judge Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin said his judgement was made in the national interest.

"In passing this sentence I have taken into consideration both the public interest and the interests of the accused and have decided that public interest exceeds that of the accused.

"I found all of the accused to be involved in realising the mission of the Al'Maunah to topple the current government by force in the name of jihad (holy war)," he said.

The martial arts sect, which taught members they were invulnerable to bullets, sparked one of the country's biggest ever security alerts in July 2000 when they disguised themselves as soldiers and stole more than 100 weapons from two military armouries.

They then retreated to a jungle hideout where they broadcast calls over army radio for Mahathir to quit.

The group surrendered after a four-day standoff with some 2,000 troops, during which they murdered a policeman and a soldier they had held hostage.

Death for Amin and two others

Judge Zulkefli imposed the death sentence on the leader of the sect, Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali, along with two of his followers, Zahit Muslim and Jamaludin Darus.

The formal charge against the group was of "waging war" against the king, but the court was told during the months of evidence that the sect planned a "holy war" to oust Mahathir and set up an Islamic state.

Judge Zulkefli said the group's plot to topple the government by force had "shocked the people of this country and could have escalated into a tragedy" had security forces not succeeded in taking control of the situation.

Defence counsel Karpal Singh expressed shock over the death sentence for three of the cult members.

"We expected life imprisonment. The circumstances did not warrant the death penalty to be imposed," he told reporters outside the courtroom.

"Life imprisonment is more than sufficient."

Karpal said an appeal would be filed next week against the sentence and conviction.

The judge announced yesterday that he was satisfied the prosecution had proven the guilt of Mohamed Amin and his 18 followers.

In tears

"It is inconceivable that (Mohamed Amin) could have watched and controlled all the other defendants at all times to stop them from leaving," he said at the culmination of the 14-month trial.

The 19 sect members, wearing white skull-caps and handcuffs, remained calm when the sentences were passed, although some family members wept.

Mohamed Nazam, 23, younger brother of Mohamed Amin, left the courtroom in tears after sentence was passed.

"He's a good man, we were close as brothers and he is like any normal sibling," he told AFP .

The wife of the cult leader, who remained with her children outside the courtroom during the hearing declined comments.

Salman Mohamed, the uncle of one of the accused sentenced to life imprisonment, told reporters the judgement was "not made in a fair manner" as some of the accused were not conscious of their actions.

Ten cult members earlier pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of preparing to wage war and were jailed for 10 years each. Sentences on two were reduced to seven years on appeal.