PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK): A dinner was held in support of Pakatan Rakyat's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who faces the verdict in his appeal against a sodomy trial today.

More than 1,000 people attended the event "Be with Anwar before his verdict" at the Padang Timur field opposite Amcorp Mall on Monday.

Anwar arrived around 8.35 pm. He was accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Leaders from the Pakatan pact also showed up to pledge their support.

They included PKR vice-president Tian Chua, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu.

Some of them also went up the stage to give their speeches during the dinner, which started around 8pm.

Among them were Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali and PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli.

The crowd dispersed at 11.30pm after Anwar delivered his speech.

The Federal Court on Tuesday will deliver its verdict on Anwar's appeal against his sodomy conviction and jail sentence.

The Court of Appeal found Anwar, 67, guilty on a charge of sodomising his former assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 27, at the Desa Damansara Condominiums, in Jalan Setiakasih in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

The charge carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and caning, if he is found guilty.