From Parliament nerves to 'I do': Syed Saddiq, Bella tie the knot 118 floors up

For a politician accustomed to sparring in Parliament and facing down a room full of opponents, the two simple words “I do” left Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman weak at the knees today.

“Debates are no problem, Parliament is no problem, but just now, I was nervous. My knees and hands were shaking.

“But alhamdulillah, once it was official, all of that was over,” he quipped, as Bernama reported, after marrying singer-actor Bella Astillah this morning.

The intersection of politics and show business was formalised 118 floors above Kuala Lumpur, where Syed Saddiq and Bella were solemnised at Menara Merdeka Maybank.

At about 10.40am, Syed Saddiq, 33, recited the akad in a single attempt before former Federal Territories mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (below), with Bella’s father as her wali (guardian).

The ceremony, billed as the first wedding held at the landmark building, carried an all-white, Arab-Islamic theme and was attended by about 250 invited family members, close friends, and dignitaries.

Among those reportedly seen were Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri; former prime ministers Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob; and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The occasion was decidedly public for what the couple described as an intimate affair, with proceedings broadcast live across Astro television channels and social media.

Syed Saddiq presented Bella with a RM500 dowry and seven trays of gifts, while the bride's family reciprocated with nine.

Among the groom’s more unconventional gifts was RM100,000 placed into Bella’s Employees Provident Fund account through i-Simpan, perhaps a particularly Malaysian expression of “for richer or poorer”, as well as an umrah package.

The gifts were intended to reflect the couple’s interests and plans for their future together.

From Kinabalu proposal to ‘BASS’

For Bella, the morning marked the end of months of preparations played out in full view of their combined political, entertainment and social media audiences.

“I feel very honoured today, and I am grateful to Allah that everything has been completed.

“Thank you to everyone who has always prayed for us, who supported Bella and YB, and who prayed so much for us until today. We really, really appreciate it. Alhamdulillah,” Bernama reported her as saying.

Syed Saddiq, meanwhile, summed up the transition rather more succinctly.

“From work partners to life partners. Alhamdulillah.”

Their romance fuelled public speculation for months before Syed Saddiq confirmed their engagement on March 28 with a video of his proposal to Bella on Mount Kinabalu.

“I asked, she said yes,” he wrote then, accompanied by the hashtag #BellaSyedYes*

Their pairing has since acquired its own social media shorthand, “BASS”, combining Bella Astillah and Syed Saddiq, while the couple steadily shared glimpses of their preparations online.

Wedding receptions

Just two days before the wedding, Syed Saddiq wrote that “a thousand moments” had led him to Bella and that marriage would mark a chapter in which life would no longer be solely about himself, but about the two of them.

Today's ceremony is only the opening act of a wedding month spanning three cities.

A Kuala Lumpur reception is scheduled for Oct 18, before the newlyweds take their celebrations to Syed Saddiq’s constituency for a public Kenduri Rakyat in Muar on Oct 25 and then to Bella’s home state of Sabah, with another gathering in Kota Kinabalu on Oct 31.

Bella was previously married to Singapore-born singer and actor Aliff Aziz. They have two children, Ayden Adrean and Ara Adreanna, and divorced in 2024.

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