As the clock ticks down to Anwar Ibrahim's final appeal over his sodomy charge, a countdown dubbed ‘ Fitnah II ’ (Slander II trial) has begun on the opposition leader’s Facebook page - 21 days to go, it says.

His appeal is fixed for two days, beginning Oct 28, where the Permatang Pauh parliamentarian is expected to know his fate of either having to serve a prison sentence or be acquitted.

In 2004, Anwar was acquitted of his first sodomy charge by the Federal Court after having spent six years in prison.

Anwar's Sodomy II case began just after he announced his intention to contest the Permatang Pauh seat in August 2008 after his five-year ban from politics expired. The seat was vacated by his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Anwar was charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the Desa Damansara condominium in Kuala Lumpur between 3pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Like his first charge, Anwar claimed that this too was fabricated by his political opponents. He nevertheless won Permatang Pauh, a seat which he held for 17 years when he was in Umno.

Kajang Move

After a lengthy four-year court battle from 2008 to early January 2012 that saw 26 prosecution witnesses and seven defence witnesses testifying at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Anwar was acquitted.

However following the Kajang Move where Anwar planned to contest the Kajang state seat in his bid to be Selangor menteri besar early this year, the prosecution's Sodomy II appeal was brought forward from its original April date to March.

The High Court decision was subsequently overturned on March 7 after a two-day hearing. Anwar was found guilty and within hours sentenced to five years' jail by the three-member Court of Appeal panel.

Anwar’s appeal in the Federal Court - the country’s highest court - is his last chance for freedom.

If he had to serve the full five-year sentence, the 67-year-old politician would be 72 when he is out. With another five-year ban on politics, this would likely spell the end of his tumultous political career.