(AFP) Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Saturday described the death sentence for three deviant Muslim sect leaders "as justice being upheld".

"I'm not saying that I'm happy. I'm not happy when somebody is sentenced to death.

"This is the decision. It's a question of justice being upheld," he was quoted as saying Bernama news agency.

The High Court yesterday sentenced the three to be hanged to death for planning a "holy war" to topple Mahathir. Sixteen other members found guilty of treason were given life sentences for their attempt to set up an Islamic state.

Mahathir, 76, said Malaysia never tolerated the kind of violence that was carried out by the group.

"The government has never tolerated that kind of action. People should know. They should not have done it," he said.

Defence lawyers said they would appeal against the death sentence in the Federal Court.

Jungle hideout

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 stand-off with some 2,000 troops, during which they murdered a policeman and a soldier they had taken hostage.

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.