Jakarta’s governor has reportedly said President Joko Widodo is considering different views on the death penalty, including his own advice that it should be removed from Indonesia’s laws.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known better as Ahok, was Mr Joko’s deputy for two years at city hall, succeeding him when he became president.

• Grim news for Bali Nine pair
• Why did the AFP hand over the Bali Nine? 
• Police rehearse moving Bali Nine duo

Visiting a prison in Jakarta on Saturday, Ahok revealed he had told the president he believes the death penalty should be removed from Indonesia’s laws and replaced with life in jail without remission.

“If from inside (jail) they’re still controlling drugs, then execute them immediately that day,” Ahok said, as quoted by local news website detik.com.

“But if people want to change, give them a chance to live.

“Maybe he can make other people more aware instead of punishing him with death … I don’t agree with the death penalty.”

The governor’s comments come days away from the planned transfer of Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan to the island where Indonesia wants to execute them, together with eight other drug offenders.

Bali’s chief prosecutor has said they could be taken from their cells in Kerobokan as soon as Sunday and taken to one of several jails on Nusakambangan, known as Indonesia’s Alcatraz.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott phoned Mr Joko last week regarding the Bali Nine pair’s case.

Afterwards Mr Abbott told reporters the president was “carefully considering his position”.

According to detik.com, Ahok believes the same.

“I know he’s very careful and meticulous in hearing all inputs,” he was quoted as saying.

“That’s my experience with him.”

But in his most recent public comments on the matter, Mr Joko was sticking with his policy.

“Our stance is clear. Our laws cannot be interfered,” he told the business website Kontan on Friday.

Australia is not the only nation concerned about Indonesia’s death penalty regime, with leaders from France, Brazil and The Netherlands also reaching out to the president on behalf of their citizens.

Nusakambangan Prisons coordinator, Marsidin, on Saturday told reporters everything was in place for the latest prisoners to be executed.

“We’re ready to receive convicts,” he said.

“The isolation cells are ready. Basically, we’re ready.”

Chan and Sukumaran were to be transferred to Nusakambangan earlier except not everything on the island was ready for the execution of 10 people at once.

The delay gave them another week to spend with family, some of whom – Sukumaran’s father and siblings – returned to Australia on Saturday.