Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - the two former Umno presidents who had a bitter falling out - have both confirmed their attendance to the Umno general assembly's opening ceremony on Thursday.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor told Bernama that the two statesmen had been invited as guests of honour.

He said Abdullah would also be a delegate to the assembly owing to his position as the Kepala Batas Umno division chief.

mahathir pak lah reunion at umno agm 2009 280309 This will be Abdullah's first Umno general assembly as a guest of honour after relinquishing his posts as party president last March and as prime minister in April.

For Mahathir, this will be his first attendance to the general assembly after rejoining the party in April 4 this year.

Mahathir left Umno on May 19 last year, saying he had lost confidence in Abdullah’s leadership of the party.

However, in the Umno general assembly in March this year, he attended the closing ceremony as a guest, and there was a brief moment when the two feuding leaders embraced each other.

Expelled in 1969

Mahathir was once expelled from the party - on Sept 26, 1969 - during Tunku Abdul Rahman's tenure for criticising the leadership of the country's first prime minister but was accepted back in 1972 when Abdul Razak Hussein became the prime minister.

When met at a Hari Raya get-together organised by Police Special Action Force, Mahathir confirmed he would attend the opening ceremony.

He also hoped that Umno would restore confidence among the people and return to its true struggle as spelled out in party constitution.

Asked on Barisan Nasional candidate Mohd Isa Samad's victory in the Bagan Pinang by-election, Dr Mahathir said it should be seen in the larger context of preparing for the 13th general election.

"We should not be overzealous. Don't let this victory lull us into complacency," he said.

- Bernama