The reconciliation meeting between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday came after months of public spats between them.

How and where did it all start to go wrong between Mahathir and his hand-picked successor?

Things truly came to a head in early April after the government announced that it was scrapping the 'crooked-bridge' project across the Causeway - a project mooted by Mahathir in the final days of his term in office.

Below are the chronology of events this year after the bridge project was scrapped.

April 27

Mahathir gave a 16-point reasoning for the bridge's construction after he could not accept the government's reasoning for calling off the project.

May 14

Mahathir said his opinion differed with the government's only on the bridge's cancellation.

May 23

Malaysiakini published the first of a three-part interview with Mahathir. The other two parts appeared in subsequent days.

May 28

Abdullah met Mahathir in Tokyo but no issues were discussed.

June 9

Mahathir criticised Abdullah's administration and said that he was only seeking answers to his earlier questions.

July 14

Mahathir hurled allegations over the cancellation of the bridge project, forcing the government to declassify several confidential documents and made them public.

July 19

Abdullah said he had no problems with Mahathir despite the latter's criticisms.

July 25

Mahathir admitted that Malacca Yang di-Pertua Negeri Khalil Yaakob met him. Khalil was said to be the mediator between Abdullah and Mahathir.

July 28

There were talks that Mahathir wanted to be prime minister again but he flatly denied this.

July 28

Mahathir was attacked by pepper spray on his visit to Kelantan.

Aug 8

Mahathir again denied talks that he was eyeing the prime minister's post.

Aug 9

Mahathir said he would continue to seek answers from the government, two days after Abdullah appeared in a television interview to refute allegations of nepotism and cronyism.

Aug 11

Perak ex-elected reps association (Mubarak) planned to arrange a meeting between Abdullah and Mahathir to settle their differences.

Aug 13

Abdullah refused to comment on a remark by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz that Mahathir's incessant attacks on the government were aimed at bringing him down.

Sept 11

Mahathir, who failed in his bid to be a Kubang Pasu Umno division delegate to the party's general assembly in November, blamed it on corruption.

Sept 12

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak asked Mahathir to lodge a complaint with the Umno disciplinary committee on his allegation of corruption in the Kubang Pasu election.

Oct 18

Abdullah and Mahathir agreed to meet before Aidilfitri.

Oct 22

They met at the prime minister's official residence in Putrajaya. Mahathir held a press conference to say that while he was satisfied with the meeting, he will still be critical of Abdullah's government.

Oct 23

Mahathir held his second press conference and said Abdullah's style of leadership was dangerous to Umno and the country.