The Malaysian High Court today sentenced three members of a Muslim sect to be hanged to death for planning a "holy war" to topple Prime Minister Mr Mahathir Mohamad.
Sixteen other members of the Al'Maunah group also found guilty of treason were given life sentences for their attempt to set up an Islamic state in Malaysia.
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 Mr Mahathir to quit. The group surrendered after a four-day standoff with 2,000 troops, during which they killed a policeman and a soldier they had held hostage.
Judge Zulkefli imposed the death sentence on the leader of the sect, Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali, along with two of his followers.
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 Mr Mahathir and set up an Islamic state.
AFP