PUTRAJAYA (Feb 10): The scene outside the Palace of Justice (PoJ) in Putrajaya today is reminiscent to ‎that of some 11 years ago when Malaysia's opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted of his first sodomy charge by the Federal Court.

That was in September 2004. Today, Anwar will know his fate as the Federal Court delivers its decision on his second sodomy charge, a case which began in 2008.

‎As was the case then, police presence in the area is heavy, with some 300 officers stationed in the vicinity of the PoJ in anticipation of the thousands of people expected to throng the area.

The main road where the PoJ is located was closed to traffic since 8pm last night while the ‎surrounding area of the court complex itself was cordoned off to the public.

Large groups of journalists began gathering just outside the barrier since 6am, waiting for when they would be allowed in to the court.

At 7.30am, most of those present outside the barricades are reporters and the police with a handful of politicans.

Anwar's supporters started gathering at the Tunku Mizan Zainal Abidin mosque, located just a stone's throw away from the court complex‎, from 6.30am onwards.

It is learnt that they will be marching to the court complex around 8.30am.

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli told reporters‎ ahead of the decision this morning that he was hoping to see justice prevail.

"It is difficult to say but we hope for justice," he said.

PAS information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar added: "We pray for the best".

Police have set up barriers around the Palace of Justice in anticipation of the large crowd. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, February 10, 2015.Police have set up barriers around the Palace of Justice in anticipation of the large crowd. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, February 10, 2015.Anwar, the PKR de facto leader, will lose his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat if he is fined more than RM2,000 or jailed for more than a year and does not receive a free pardon.

Anwar, 68, is staring at a five-year jail sentence meted out by the Court of Appeal, which in March last year overturned High Court's decision to acquit him of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The prosecution has filed a cross-appeal for an enhanced sentence, which could stretch up to 20 years.

The apex court took seven days over last October and November to hear Anwar's appeal, said to be the longest amount of time the court at that level has given to an appeal hearing.

During the hearing, Anwar's counsel and the prosecution reviewed the trial evidence and the testimony of the complainant, Saiful. The prosecution attempted to lay the burden of proof on Anwar while the defence argued that the main evidence given by Saiful was unreliable.

Lawyers observing the case have said the panel of five judges who heard the appeal will have to decide whether Saiful's testimony can be believed. They said other corroborative evidence would be irrelevant if the complainant's testimony was found deficient or inadmissible.

If the judges accept Saiful's evidence and uphold Anwar's conviction, the prosecution is then expected to make its case for a longer jail term. The defence will be given a chance to argue against this.