Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah marry at Merdeka 118, with RM300,000 public feast planned for Muar

A wedding 118 floors above Kuala Lumpur

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and singer and actress Bella Astillah married at about 10.40am on October 10, 2026, on the 118th floor of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur. The ceremony opened a month of celebrations that includes a planned distribution of more than RM300,000 worth of daily essentials to families in need in his Johor constituency.

Syed Saddiq, 33, recited the akad nikah, the declaration formalising the marriage, in one attempt before former Federal Territories mufti Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri. Bella's father, Awang Astillah Abdullah, acted as her wali, or marriage guardian. The groom presented Bella, 32, with a RM500 mas kahwin, the obligatory marriage gift to the bride.

The occasion was described as the first wedding held at the landmark skyscraper. About 250 guests attended, according to one account of the ceremony. Another put the expected guest count at approximately 255. Both figures were above the roughly 200 guests discussed during preparations, although the reports do not establish a final verified attendance total.

Astro broadcast the ceremony live, turning a gathering intended for family, friends and invited dignitaries into a national television and online event. Fans call the couple BASS, combining the initials of Bella Astillah and Syed Saddiq.

Speaking after the solemnisation, Syed Saddiq, a former youth and sports minister, described how the wedding differed from the public speaking he usually does in Parliament.

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

The wedding is now complete, but three further gatherings remain scheduled: a Kuala Lumpur reception on October 18, a public feast in Muar on October 25 and another in Kota Kinabalu on October 31.

Gifts centred on savings, education and family protection

The RM500 mas kahwin was separate from the couple's hantaran, the customary presentation of wedding gifts. Syed Saddiq's side presented seven trays, while Bella's family reciprocated with nine.

Among the groom's gifts was RM100,000 for Bella's Employees Provident Fund account through the i-Simpan voluntary contribution facility. EPF is Malaysia's retirement savings system, making the contribution a provision for her financial future rather than spending money for the wedding.

The gifts also included support for Bella to pursue a master's degree in communication at Taylor's University. Reports describe this variously as a scholarship and a degree sponsorship. They do not give the financial terms or identify who will cover each part of the study costs.

Health, life and critical illness insurance for Bella and her children, Mohamad Ayden Adrean and Ara Adreanna, formed another part of the arrangements. Other gifts included gold, a home gym, massage chairs, a road bicycle and an umrah pilgrimage package. Accounts differ on the last item: one describes it as a gift arranged by Syed Saddiq, while another calls it a surprise sponsorship.

A gold keepsake depicting Mount Kinabalu recalled the location of his proposal. Bella's gifts reflected his interest in endurance sport, including a customised Ironman Malaysia gold piece and tickets to the 2027 Ultraman Australia race. She also presented a gold ring, shoes, a Quran and perfume.

The wedding gifts extended an approach already visible at their engagement. On March 28, Syed Saddiq gave Bella Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad and Tabung Haji savings accounts, alongside National Education Savings Scheme accounts for her children. The documentary recounts that Bella initially thought the gifts resembled assistance for single mothers. He explained them as a commitment to her family and the children's education.

Muar prepares for a much larger public celebration

The most ambitious gathering by projected attendance is the October 25 kenduri rakyat in Muar. The term means a people's feast, and the couple plan to combine the wedding celebration with the distribution of more than RM300,000 worth of essential provisions supplied in cooperation with local brands.

Syed Saddiq said the purpose was to share their happiness and ease household financial pressures, rather than ask guests for money.

Rather than asking for monetary gifts, easing the financial burden on everyday people feels far more meaningful.

He also said he hoped young couples would avoid taking on large debts for a lavish wedding. His projected attendance for Muar was 20,000 to 30,000 people, compared with about 10,000 at a previous Hari Raya open house. Those figures would make the wedding feast two to three times the size of that earlier gathering, if the estimate is met.

Both public feasts will use a rewang format, in which residents are invited to help prepare the food. Sponsors have contributed rice, coconut milk and bread. Syed Saddiq said preparations took less than two months and that securing venues was difficult because many locations were already booked.

Food service in Muar is planned on a first come, first served basis. He said that even if the food ran out, the couple would remain to greet as many people as possible. The attendance estimate is a planning expectation, not a confirmed turnout, and detailed arrangements for selecting recipients of the essential supplies have not been announced in the accounts of the preparations.

Why the Sabah reception will be in Kota Kinabalu

Bella's October 31 kenduri rakyat will take place in Kota Kinabalu rather than Sandakan, where she was born. She said sponsor locations and travel arrangements were the main reasons for choosing the Sabah capital.

The singer and actress explained that she would have liked to celebrate in her hometown, but most sponsors were based in Kota Kinabalu. She also said the location would make it easier for guests travelling from other parts of Sabah, including Lahad Datu.

Traditional Sabah clothing will be the theme of that gathering, reflecting the state's cultural diversity. Together, the Muar and Kota Kinabalu events give the couple's respective home communities a place in celebrations that began with a restricted guest list in Kuala Lumpur.

Before those public feasts, the newlyweds will hold their October 18 reception at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, known as MITEC. Wedding planner Reka Teemor is handling that event, while Kayangan Holdings organised the solemnisation.

From a radio station selfie to a mountain proposal

The documentary and the couple's public recollections trace their acquaintance to a radio station in 2022. Bella said Syed Saddiq stopped to greet her, asked how she was doing and took their first selfie using his phone.

By 2024, they were friends who played badminton together. Bella invited him to appear as a doctor in the music video for her song Tapi Bukan Denganmu. A later Raya fashion photoshoot brought them closer, although Syed Saddiq said he had been her fourth choice after three other possible partners were approached.

Their shared appearances prompted speculation through 2025. Bella supported him at court proceedings, and she and her children were reportedly with him in France in September while he competed in the Ironman World Championship.

The sequence leading to the wedding spans several years:

• 2022: Bella and Syed Saddiq met at a radio station and took their first selfie.
• June 2024: Bella divorced Singaporean singer and actor Aliff Aziz and was granted custody of their two children.
• October 2024: Syed Saddiq appeared in Bella's Tapi Bukan Denganmu music video.
• 2025: Fashion collaborations, court appearances and a reported trip to France increased public speculation about their relationship.
• March 28, 2026: Syed Saddiq released the Mount Kinabalu proposal video, and the couple held their engagement ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
• October 10, 2026: Their marriage was solemnised at Merdeka 118.

The timing of the proposal itself differs between reports. One places the mountain expedition and proposal in January 2026, with the video released in March. A wedding account describes the proposal as having happened in March. The public announcement and engagement date, March 28, are consistent.

At the engagement, Syed Saddiq's mother, Sharifah Mahani Syed Abdul Aziz, placed the ring on Bella's finger. The ceremony publicly confirmed a relationship the pair had kept private despite months of attention.

Legal proceedings shaped the relationship

The first documentary episode revisits Syed Saddiq's legal case and the effect it had on his willingness to commit to a relationship. In November 2023, the High Court convicted him on charges involving criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property and money laundering.

The Court of Appeal acquitted him in June 2025. The documentary account says the Federal Court reaffirmed that acquittal in July 2026. Bella attended both stages while the couple were still keeping their relationship private.

Syed Saddiq said the case had held him back because he did not want to burden Bella or her family. His father, Syed Abdul Rahman, recalled being impressed by his composure during the proceedings.

Bella's mother, Siti Zarina Astillah, said her daughter cleared her calendar and cancelled performances to attend court in support of him. Sharifah Mahani described a tearful embrace with Bella at the Palace of Justice in July as the moment she truly accepted her into the family.

The programme places their bond alongside two difficult personal chapters: his legal battles and Bella's divorce in 2024. Friends and relatives described Bella as emotionally devastated after the marriage ended, with Syed Saddiq becoming a source of support. His mother and brother said he had become more relaxed and playful during the relationship.

Becoming a husband and a stepfather

For Syed Saddiq, marriage also means joining a family with two children. He said he began reading parenting books late in the previous year to prepare to become a stepfather to Ayden and Ara.

Speaking about that responsibility before the wedding, the Muar MP credited Bella for raising her children and described his intended role.

I feel fortunate. My role is to offer support, and I'll do my absolute best to carry out that responsibility.

His engagement remarks also addressed the children directly, expressing the hope that they would accept him into their lives. The education savings accounts at the engagement and insurance arrangements at the wedding gave practical form to that commitment.

In footage shared before the ceremony, Ayden expressed excitement about having someone he could call Daddy, while Ara welcomed the prospect of a new father figure. Bella said before the wedding that both children were excited and that she was grateful for her family's support.

The couple also recalled spending more than two hours with Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali during their wedding invitation visits. They described the meeting as taking place three days before her death. Syed Saddiq remembered advice about tolerance, compromise and education; Bella recalled guidance about strength, trust and respect in marriage.

Family roots and traditional craft shaped the celebrations

The Merdeka 118 ceremony used a white theme with Arabian and Islamic elements. Syed Saddiq's father said the concept honoured the family's ancestral roots in Hadramawt, Yemen. The couple wore outfits designed by Zaimi Zulkafli for the solemnisation.

For the wider receptions, Bella commissioned custom handwoven songket from Terengganu Songket and appointed Faizul Surani, chief executive of the Rizalman Ibrahim Group of Companies, as her fashion adviser. Songket is a woven fabric decorated with supplementary threads, often metallic, that create patterned surfaces.

Faizul described Bella as closely involved in the designs and clear about what she wanted. Terengganu Songket director Hajar Ariffin said the order was complex and detailed, prompting her mother to return to Terengganu to oversee production. Hajar hoped the couple's use of songket would encourage younger generations to preserve the craft.

Bella's nine bridesmaids included her sister Didi Astillah, Elyssa Murni Johari, Datin Seri Dr Affa, Datin Balqish Hussni, Toh Puan Syamim Freida, Tya Arifin, Cut Zahra Ermanda, Emma Suhaimi and Nabiha Aimi.

Syed Saddiq's entourage included his brother Syed Abdullah, Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, Luqman Long, Adam Mukhriz Mohd Muhayeddin, Mohamed Amshar Aziz and youth advocate Ulya Husamudin.

Among those reported at the ceremony were Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Nancy Shukri, Muhyiddin Yassin, Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Khairy Jamaluddin. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung were among the invitation recipients, but an invitation does not establish attendance.

Astro's schedule and a reception timing discrepancy

Astro's official series schedule describes an exclusive eight episode programme covering preparations, the wedding and the couple's life afterward. Its promotional title is Bella Astillah & Syed Saddiq: Perjalanan Cinta #BellaSyedYes. Reports also refer to the reality special as Walimatul Urus Bella Astillah & Syed Saddiq.

The broadcaster scheduled the first two episodes for October 6 and 7 at 11pm on Astro Ria, Channel 104. Its official listing placed the live Merdeka 118 solemnisation episode at 9am on October 10. Wider broadcast announcements also named Astro Prima, Astro Awani, Astro GO, Sooka and Astro Gempak.

The October 18 MITEC reception has different advertised start times. Astro's official page lists a live episode at 11pm on Astro Ria. Another broadcast announcement gives an 8pm start on Astro Prima, Sooka, Astro GO and Astro Gempak. These may reflect separate platform schedules, but no explanation of the difference has been given.

Episodes five to eight are scheduled between October 27 and November 17 at 11pm on Astro Ria. Astro says they will follow married life, time with family and children, and honeymoon preparations. The first documentary episode ran for more than 40 minutes and included family introductions, preparations and footage from the couple's mandatory wedding course, supported by Renaissance KL and Four Points KLCC.

Public duties, private plans and sponsorship scrutiny

The honeymoon is on hold while Syed Saddiq returns to parliamentary work around Budget 2027. Accounts differ on whether the October 10 ceremony falls just before or just after the budget presentation. They agree that parliamentary sessions and policy debate affect the couple's immediate plans, but do not establish a single confirmed budget date.

Syed Saddiq said his duties as an MP would remain a priority. Bella plans to continue acting and filming, and he said they had set expectations about their respective careers from the beginning.

It would be unfair of me as a husband to limit or stop Bella's career ambitions.

The televised wedding and its visible sponsorships have also drawn mixed reactions. Some social media users praised the savings, education and insurance gifts. Others objected to the prominence of sponsored products during the ceremony.

Threads user @fleatslere described it as an "advertisement board for sponsored products". Another user, Qiqi Aqilah Kamari, viewed the wedding as an opportunity to "manufacture relevance", while also expressing good wishes for the couple. These comments represent individual reactions, not evidence of wider public opinion.

No complete wedding budget or breakdown of sponsorship values has been disclosed. The RM100,000 EPF contribution, RM500 mas kahwin and more than RM300,000 in planned essential supplies serve different purposes and should not be treated as a single measure of wedding spending. The next scheduled milestones are the MITEC reception and the two public feasts, where the couple's plans for community participation will move from preparation to delivery.

Key Points

• Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah married at about 10.40am on October 10, 2026, on Merdeka 118's 118th floor.
• The RM500 mas kahwin was separate from gifts including RM100,000 in EPF savings, study support and family insurance.
• The MITEC reception is scheduled for October 18, followed by public feasts in Muar on October 25 and Kota Kinabalu on October 31.
• The Muar event plans to distribute more than RM300,000 worth of essentials, with projected attendance of 20,000 to 30,000.
• Astro's eight episode series continues through November 17. Announced October 18 reception broadcast times differ by account and platform.
• Honeymoon plans are deferred while Syed Saddiq attends to parliamentary duties, and Bella intends to continue her career.