Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad was all smiles last night when Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi congratulated him and his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali on their wedding anniversary.

Abdullah made the surprise announcement at the opening ceremony of the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.

According to a Bernama report, the premier wished both of them well and a long life.

Abdullah's gesture came as a pleasant surprise for the couple who were celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary. They were married on Aug 5, 1956.

After Abdullah made the announcement, some 500 guests including 10 heads of state or government, mostly from African countries, immediately gave them a huge round of applause.

Did not expect it

Asked by reporters to respond to the prime minister's congratulatory message, Mahathir said he was grateful.

" Terima kasih lah, saya tak sangka dia tahu . (Thank you, I did not expect him to know about it)," he said, then laughed.

Mahathir also said that the couple had not made any plans to celebrate their anniversary. "I have no plans, but I am very glad."

In paying tribute to the couple, Abdullah said Mahathir and Siti Hasmah had contributed not only to the nation, but also to the LID community.

Mahathir was the founding father of the LID in 1995 which has spawned similar editions in southern and east Africa.

Strained ties

The relationship between the former premier and his handpicked successor became strained following several of the decisions made by Abdullah, namely to cancel the half-bridge project.

This led Mahathir to launch scathing attacks against the premier, to the point of even saying that he could have been wrong in picking Abdullah to succeed him.

He also accused his successor's administration of being riddled with corruption and cronysim.

Abdullah took over the reins in November 2003 after Mahathir stepped down following 22 years in office.