Keadilan plans to distribute o­ne million pamphlets to step up the campaign for the release of jailed ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Its acting Youth chief, Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, told malaysiakini yesterday that the opposition party would carry out the distribution of the 'Free Anwar' leaflets as soon as they have collected enough funds.

"We want to ensure that all Malaysians are aware that Anwar Ibrahim is a political prisoner.

"We want to tell the rakyat that the court has now become a tool of the ruling government which is determined to deny Anwar justice," he said when met at a sembahyang hajat gathering at Anwar's home in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur .

Muhammad Zahid said the party was launching a new fund to support the campaign for the jailed politician's release.

"If they think that we have lost just because Anwar is not released today, they should think again," he said of supporters of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

"This will o­nly make us fight harder. The longer he remains in jail, the stronger we will get," he vowed.

Reformasi supporters had hoped that Anwar would be released yesterday as the former deputy prime minister had completed two-third of his six-year jail sentence for corrupt practice and has since applied for a stay o­n his second jail sentence of nine years for sodomy.

His application for bail was heard at the Court of Appeal last week but no decision has been made yet. If Anwar fails in his application, he would have to serve his sentence until 2009 with o­ne-third remission for good behaviour.

Continue the fight

Meanwhile in a short speech after the prayers, Anwar's wife and Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( left ) reminded the crowd that they should not feel dejected by her husband's continued detention.

"Anwar wanted me to tell you that he will be in jail until 2012 if we do not continue this fight for justice. He said that we should not take this abuse hands down," she said as the crowd chanted 'reformasi'.

She also urged reformasi supporters to be patient and to ensure that their struggle for justice would not fizzle out.

Keadilan leaders Mohd Azmin Ali, Ruslan Kasim and Zahid drew more shouts of 'reformasi' as they pledged to continue their fight.

They said that the people must stand up against the injustice and show their contempt against the ruling party in the coming general election.

Also speaking yesterday was o­ne of Anwar's lawyers, Zulkifli Nordin, who riled up the crowd when he said that the jailed politician may be behind bars for another nine years.

He said if Anwar is denied the o­ne-third remission, he would remain in jail until April 14, 2012.

However, another Anwar lawyer, Sankara Nair, told malaysiakini that it was confirmed that Anwar had completed his first six-year jail sentence yesterday.

"I spoke to the prison's security chief and was told that Anwar has been granted the o­ne-third remission for his first sentence. Therefore he is officially serving his second sentence today," he said.

Asked if there was any written confirmation, the lawyer said such notice would o­nly be issued if the prisoner is to be released from jail.

"Considering that he (Anwar) has to serve his second sentence consecutively after the first, the prison official had chose to o­nly inform the matter verbally," he said.

Police reports

Meanwhile, Keadilan Youth information chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin said the presence of Anwar's supporters yesterday showed that Anwar is still relevant to the country's politics.

"As far as we are concerned we have marked the Black 14 day well. Anwar is a prisoner of conscience and has been denied justice although he deserved to be given bail," he said.

He said apart from the gathering at Anwar's home in the evening, an informal gathering of about 1,000 people took place outside the Campbell police station in Kuala Lumpur yesterday afternoon.

"The gathering took place after I lodged a report against the police's failure to investigate Anwar's complaint against Umno leaders including former finance minister Daim Zainudin and Economic Planning Unit former head Ali Abul Hasan for alleged corrupt practice."

"The failure (to investigate) these reports showed that there is an attempt to ensure Anwar remain in jail to protect the interests of these people," he said.

Police presence at the gathering last night was light .