“This is a truly remarkable turn of events.

“I am elated for Anwar, his family and Malaysia that he has been released and has received a well-deserved pardon,” said Motley, who had been working with Anwar’s lawyers since last year.

She added that Anwar’s conviction was a travesty of justice and that, like her, others around the world were drawn to his cause.

“I am truly hopeful that Anwar’s release, as well as the monumental re-election of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, will be a positive turning point for Malaysia,” she told FMT.

Motley came to Malaysia late last year to work on Anwar’s release but was prevented from meeting him.

She had even met Dr Mahathir Mohamad last December to help her in her task.

She also made an appeal to former prime minister Najib Razak to release Anwar on the grounds that his health was deteriorating.

After her request for permission to meet Anwar at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) last December was rejected, she called it a “breach of international standards of access to justice and paints Malaysia in a bad light”.

The former opposition leader was released today after getting a full royal pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He had been imprisoned for 1,191 days following his conviction for sodomy in February 2015.

Mahathir, lawyer push Putrajaya for Anwar’s immediate release