The online poll by the human rights organisation Think Centre, which opposes capital punishment, asked one question: "Do you support the death penalty in Singapore?"

By June 7, the end of the first week of the poll, 314 of the 377 responses had said yes.

Voters appeared unswayed by the Think Centre's argument that the death penalty "is an inherently unjust and arbitrary punishment, however heinous the crime".

The poll, which will continue for another week, was started after the civil rights group published a copy of a clemency plea to President S. R. Nathan by Yasmin Mustaffah, whose brother Zulfikar has been sentenced to death on drugs charges.

In Singapore, death by hanging is mandatory for drug trafficking, murder, treason and certain firearms offences, including discharging a firearm during a crime.

During the past decade, 340 people have been put to death, most for drug offences, giving the country of 3.1 million people "possibly one of the highest execution rates in the world, relative to its population", said Amnesty International.

Think Centre said it raised the issue because there was no public debate about the use of the death penalty "as a violation of the right to life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment".

Spokesman Jacob George said the rights group, which will use the poll to lead off a public campaign opposing capital punishment, had no view on the outcome of the survey.

"I can't say we are surprised or not surprised. We just wanted to see what the reaction would be," he said. "The issue has been simmering for a long time. People have ideas and we want to tap into them."

The imminent execution of Oklahoma City mass murderer Timothy McVeigh has refocused attention on the death penalty. But while McVeigh had committed the worst act of terrorism in US history, Ms Mustaffah said her brother's mistake was to deliver a package to make a little money.