Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim received "the most unfair trial ever in Malaysian history", his lawyers charged in the country's highest court today.

They were addressing a Federal Court packed with foreign diplomats, reporters and supporters when Anwar's appeal against a corruption conviction resumed after being delayed Monday by a bomb scare.

Anwar, who says his back was injured after his arrest in 1998, was in court in a wheelchair and neck-brace, while about three dozen supporters chanted "Reformasi" (reform) outside the court as police stood guard.

The former heir-apparent to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he was framed to prevent a political challenge to Mahathir and is regarded as a political prisoner by the United States.

Anwar's lawyer Christopher Fernando told the appeal hearing that the trial judge Augustine Paul had violated the rules of justice by stopping the defense team from producing key evidence and witnesses during the trial.

"My client was deprived of the fundamental rights of a fair trial and subjected to the most unfair trial ever in Malaysian history," he said.

The judge was "confrontational" towards the defense team, another of Anwar's lawyers, Sulaiman Abdullah, told the court.

"The attitude of the judge was far from evenly holding the scales of justice," he added.

Last-ditch attempt

Fernando appealed to the three-man Federal Court appeal bench, headed by Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, to throw out the guilty verdict as the court process "was grossly unfair".

Anwar's appeal in the Federal Court is a last-ditch attempt to overthrow his 1999 corruption conviction - for abuse of power to cover-up sexual misconduct - and six year jail sentence.

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

Anwar's lawyers completed their submissions Tuesday and that the hearing would continue with prosecution arguments on Thursday.

Ahead of his hearing, Anwar's wife and his lawyers said they were optimistic he would win his appeal.

Wan Azizah, president of the opposition party Keadilan, had told AFP she was pleased with the appeal hearing so far.

"The judges were patient. We are given a chance to put our points across. We wait for a favourable judgement."

Anwar's counsel Nair had told AFP he was happy with earlier proceedings, adding that the defense team expected "nothing less than Anwar being declared not guilty."

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