In a Facebook post, Saiful said that two days ago, a man who was a close friend of Anwar’s, sought him out to apologise for attacking him and for not believing his side of the story as the victim in Anwar’s sodomy conviction.

“I told him it was okay because they did not know. I have forgotten them a long time ago,” said Saiful.

He said the man, after seeking his forgiveness, told him that he was there to ask for help on behalf of Anwar’s family.

“He hoped that I, as the complainant in the case, could seek a royal pardon on behalf on Anwar without changing my statement.

“He hoped that I could forgive Anwar. He said Anwar had already served two years in jail and maybe he has repented.”

Saiful, however, doubts that the man was acting on behalf of Anwar’s family.

He is also unsure about the man’s motivation in helping Anwar, and “whether he did it with good intention or only as a way to enable Anwar to compete in the coming general election”.

Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Nuha, denied asking Saiful for help.

“Not true. We have never approached Saiful for anything,” she said in a text message.

Asked if the family would consider asking Saiful for help to free Anwar, Nurul Nuha said “no”.

Anwar was sentenced to five years’ jail after the Federal Court dismissed his review application to set aside his sodomy conviction in December last year.

Anwar, 69, filed the review application on April 30, 2015, after the Federal Court, two months earlier, affirmed his guilt for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 31.