(AFP) The High Court were told today that the 19 members of a Muslim sect found guilty of treason for planning a "holy war" to oust Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and install an Islamic state deserved the death penalty.

Prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail earlier told the packed courtroom that the death penalty was appropriate.

"I strongly urge the court to consider the matter seriously and the first option is to look at the death penalty.

Same sentence for all

"It is in the interest of the public to give the death penalty. Whatever punishment you are inclined to give must be the same for all of them," prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail told the packed courtroom.

"Any form of terrorism, of extremism cannot be tolerated," he added.

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.

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.

On Friday, the 19 sect members and their families, all wearing white skull-caps, remained calm as mitigators pleaded for prison sentences rather than death amid tight courtroom security.

'Execution irreversible'

Defense counsel Karpal Singh had said the cult members were "misguided" and pleaded for clemency in the case which he said was the first of the kind in the country.

"Let the court be reminded today that the execution of a brother is irreversible. Therefore I appeal that the lesser of the two judgements which is life imprisonment be imposed," he said.

One of the men found guilty, Ibrahim Dris, 45, said he did not deserve to die for his crimes because he lost the ability to think clearly after joining the sect to learn more about Islam.

Yesterday, Judge Zulkefli announced that he was satisfied the prosecution had proven the guilt of the leader of the Al-Ma'unah cult, Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali, and his 18 followers.

He rejected claims by the other 18 members that they were coerced by Mohamed Amin into participating in the plot.

"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.