After six years in jail, Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's former deputy premier and the man once in line to lead the country, has lost none of his influence nor his political savvy.

His bedroom at the Alpha Klinik, the centre in Munich, southern Germany, where he is recovering after spinal surgery, is a veritable revolving door for former world leaders, present high-ranking officials and Malaysian politicians.

The first to visit was former Indonesian leader BJ Habibi.

When the telephone rings, it's former US vice-president Al Gore, Britain's minister for finance, Gordon Brown, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail, or ex-Philippine president Joseph Estrada.

From his bed, Anwar, a charismatic, well-groomed man with a ready laugh, appears to be surveying the political ground before making his return to the political arena - in whatever form it may be.

"I need time to reflect, to discuss the situation. The political landscape has changed," he tells AFP in an interview. "I'm in no rush to decide."

The exclusive clinic is paying for his stay, which could run to two months, and has a small waiting room set up metres from Anwar's bed and a large tray with coffee, tea and water for the steady stream of visitors.

Busy schedule a concern

When he is not talking to guests, Anwar is working out. In red Ralph Lauren track suit and white Fila tennis shoes and with a physiotherapist at his back, he plies his back an hour in the morning and up to two-and-a-half hours in the afternoon.

"They say it takes a few months for me just to be considered healthy, more than that to be normal. I need certainly a few weeks more," he says, his gold-rimmed spectacles becoming discs as he turns his head to smile.

Even here, his myth is strong. His physiotherapist, Andrew van Broekhoven, says Anwar has a strong will but could not say when, or if, if he will recover from an injury he claims was inflicted by police when he was arrested in 1998.

"It's remarkable. You have no idea how strong he is. This man is a phenomenon," says Broekhoven. "We cannot say right now if his recovery will be 100 percent."

Other staff are concerned about his busy schedule: "This is not good for our patient," says one as the telephone rang again in the small office the clinic has set up for he and his entourage.

Don't bullshit

His wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who has formed her own political party the Parti Keadilan Rakyat is present at his bedside, is more worried about their children back home.

"At least they used to have a mother before, now they don't even have that."

Despite being in the process of feeling out the new political terrain, Anwar remains candid and shows no fear of offending powerful figures.

"Don't bullshit the public about British or American democracy," he says about the political process in his country, sometimes gesturing wildly.

"Don't assume that we have free elections. We have record phantom voters. Except for some limited areas, the entire media, particularly the television, are all 100 percent government propaganda throughout the elections."

On US President George W Bush's "war on terror" launched after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks he says: "The Bush administration of course thinks that they have all the answers without even engaging with people."

"You should confine yourself to the terrorists and attack them and you will get the support. You have to engage to win the hearts and minds of the people, not through unilateral action or arrogance."

But he was less strident when asked about former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom he was set to replace before being sacked, arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison on sodomy and corruption charges.

"I would just say I hope he keeps his health well and retires peacefully."