Every time a trial comes up there's an increased level of harassment, I've always felt it was a form of mental torture, technique, to rattle him and to affect his train of thought

Lawyer Sankara Nair

The court is across the road from the square where in September 1998 he led the largest anti-government rally ever seen in Kuala Lumpur.

But unlike before, Mr Anwar's loyal supporters numbered about 100 rather than in the thousands.

According to one of Mr Anwar's team of lawyers, Sankara Nair, the proceedings this week are due to run for four days.

A minimum bench of three judges may deliver an immediate judgement or may reserve their decision for weeks afterwards.

'Mental torture'

Mr Sankara said he shared Mr Anwar's "reserved optimism" that, after three previous postponements, the high court conviction in 1999 would be overturned.

Mahathir has undergone a resurgence since 11 September

"The man is in jail, he's not on bail, and therefore justice delayed is justice denied. And it's become a pattern - every time a trial comes up there's an increased level of harassment," said Mr Sankara.

"I've always felt it was a form of mental torture, technique, to rattle him and to affect his train of thought.

"This time around we have given 34 grounds of appeal and we're arguing that much evidence given in favour of Anwar was not considered. We've complained about the moving of the goalposts and how the original judge had expunged evidence. We're also raising the role of the attorney-general. These are the issues for us."

Opposition disarray

Three years after the controversial sacking and jailing of Mr Anwar, much has changed in Malaysian politics.

The momentum for political reform has been unexpectedly reset by last year's 11 September attacks on New York and Washington

The reformasi (or reform) movement he inspired has dissipated, with several of its leaders detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly promoting insurrections against the state.

The once-dynamic alliance of opposition parties known as the Barisan Alternatif (BA) is in disarray.

The party forged in the heat of the reformasi movement - Keadilan or the National Justice Party - is still led by Mr Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, but senior defections have severely dented its impact and morale.

The momentum for political reform has also been unexpectedly reset by last year's 11 September attacks on New York and Washington.

Mr Anwar's long-time mentor and now nemesis, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has enjoyed a resurgence of approval since 11 September, adroitly exploiting Malaysian fears of a militant Islamic opposition and the global economic uncertainty.

'Conspiracy'

The prime minister has partly won back a burgeoning middle-class that once flirted with the BA, as a landslide victory at a recent by-election suggests.

Anwar's opposition movement is dissipated and low on morale

Dr Mahathir has also moved quickly against what he alleges is a broader militant Islamic conspiracy against his government.

The police had already detained without trial scores of opposition and Muslim activists before 11 September, accusing them of plotting the violent overthrow of the government.

Since the beginning of the American-led campaign against terrorism, the police have rounded up more Muslims, who are allegedly part of a shadowy militant group trained in weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The police have warned off a further 200 Malaysians, who are apparently under surveillance.

Several of them are allegedly part of South East Asia's al-Qaeda terrorist network that was planning to bomb US interests in the region.

Unsurprisingly, with this development, Anwar and his plight have slipped out of domestic and international focus.

Pressure eased

While the United States maintains it continues to view Mr Anwar's jailing as politically-motivated, the pressure on Dr Mahathir's government has eased in the wake of the campaign against terrorism as security co-operation improves between the two governments.

But closer ties with Malaysia's biggest security and trading partner in the new climate may not be enough to overcome the deep divisions still apparent in the majority Malay-Muslim community, even though the prime minister has rebuilt support among the critical non-Muslim minorities of ethnic-Chinese, Indian and indigenous communities.

Many Malays unhappy with Dr Mahathir's treatment of his former deputy support the Islamist PAS, the dominant opposition party.

However, the prime minister has been fond of taking calculated risks, which has led to growing speculation about a possible early general election next year.

He hopes to capitalise on the opposition's disarray and the electorate's fears of rising Islamic militancy in opposition ranks.

Though according to a leader in Dr Mahathir's party "the Anwar issue isn't centre-stage any more", few have been prepared to dismiss Mr Anwar's impact on electoral calculations for next year.

As a result, this week's appeal process will be instructive for many looking ahead.