Jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, his wife and his lawyers say they are optimistic that he will win his appeal against a corruption conviction after the hearing resumes tomorrow.

Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, president of the opposition National Justice Party, told AFP that she was pleased with the appeal hearing so far.

"I look forward to Monday's appeal. The judges were patient. We are given a chance to put our points across. We wait for a favourable judgement."

Wan Azizah said she last saw Anwar a week ago. "He is pain but his spirits are high. He will be in court." Anwar says his back was injured in an assault by police after his arrest.

Anwar's counsel Sankara Nair told AFP : "We are ready with our arguments. We expect nothing less than Anwar being declared not guilty."

Last-ditch appeal

Anwar's last-ditch appeal in the Federal Court, the country's highest, was first heard over three days last month before being adjourned.

Nair said Anwar was happy with the earlier proceedings. "The judges were receptive to our submissions compared to the proceedings in the Court of Appeal and the High Court."

The appeal is set down for five days this week, and Anwar's lawyers will continue with their submissions.

"After that we will close our appeal and the government lawyers will begin theirs. Then we will reply," he said.

Nair said the judges could announce their decision immediately after the appeal ends or "it may take a few months".

The three-man Federal Court appeal bench is headed by Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

Whatever the outcome of the corruption appeal, Anwar would not walk free because he is also serving a nine-year sentence for a sodomy conviction, which will be the subject of a separate appeal.

Anwar's lead counsel, Raja Aziz Addruse, who began the corruption appeal last month, charged that the evidence of the two key witnesses former special branch director Mohamad Said Awang and his deputy Amir Junus lacked credibility.

Political prisoner

At issue was whether Anwar had told the policemen to force two people his wife's driver and the sister of his political secretary to retract accusations of sexual misconduct against him.

Anwar's supporters say he was framed to prevent a political challenge to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, while local and international rights groups have condemned his trials as unjust. The US regards him as a political prisoner.

Anwar, once heir apparent to Mahathir, was sacked in September 1998. He was convicted in April 1999 for corruption abusing his power to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct and jailed for six years.

He was sentenced to another nine years imprisonment for sodomy in August 2000. Anwar has also filed an appeal against the sodomy conviction but no date has been set for the hearing.

Diplomats and analysts say that Anwar's case, which once dominated domestic politics, has been marginalised by the global war on terrorism and the arrests in Malaysia of alleged Islamic militants.