The luminaries and speeches were according to schedule but what took the organisers of the mammoth dinner gathering held in honour of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by surperise last night, was the long and persistent rain.

The downpour, which lasted throughout the evening, might have dampened the festive spirit of the occasion but it failed to deter the 20,000 attendees from staying and feasting at the Bukit Jalil stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

Upon arrival, the attendees could only wait by the covered stands and look down at the 1,668 plastic-sheet covered tables dotting the stadium grounds.

Large umbrellas kept the VIPs dry as organisers scuttled about to find a solution. Raincoats were then distributed and dinner was served.

So the diners made the best of their circumstances either by moving their tables to sheltered sections of the stadium, or in most cases, ate under umbrellas.

Some were also seen savouring their servings of sharks' fin soups under cover of huge plastic sheets.

Poem recitation

The premier arrived at about 8:30pm and was greeted by an entourage of Chinese community leaders and some 20 lion dance troupes.

Among those who were at hand to welcome him were the leaders of five Barisan Nasional component parties - MCA, Gerakan, Sarawak United People's Party (Supp), Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) - and more than 30 major Chinese community groups in the country.

Abdullah was then ushered to the VIP observation box where he joined other government leaders who had gathered to wait out the rain in vain.

He then stepped onto a stage erected for the event, he was entertained by a 15-minute long dragon dance.

The premier, clad in an bright orange batik shirt, was subsequently regaled by several Chinese community leaders, including MCA president Ong Ka Ting, Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia president Lim Gait Tong.

While delivering his speech, Abdullah thanked his audience for braving the rain and making the event a success.

"Although it is raining, you are all here for this dinner. This makes the party a success," he said to rousing cheers.

Declining to be seated at his table, the premier remained standing on stage as he listened to the speeches and a poem recitation in his honour by 13-year-old student Toh Shu Juin.

The poem was titled, 'Chinese community in support of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership'.

Among the cabinet ministers present were Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar ( second from left ), Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn ( far right ), Deputy Education Minister Aziz Shamsuddin, and their respective spouses.

Former MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek was also spotted dining under an umbrella.

Despite the rain, Abdullah had every reason to be cheerful as the event painted a sunny picture of his future.

If the dinner attendance was any indication of the level of support for him within the community, he has little to worry about in the upcoming general election.