Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah celebrate with 3,000 guests as children take centre stage

A Kuala Lumpur celebration with family at its heart

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and singer and actress Bella Astillah celebrated their marriage before about 3,000 guests at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on October 18, 2026. Between performances by Siti Nurhaliza and Jaclyn Victor, their reception delivered a more personal message: Bella and her two children were beginning a new family life with the politician.

The evening began at 8.41pm. Bella's children, nine-year-old Mohamed Ayden Adrean and six-year-old Ara Adreanna, entered together two minutes later, followed by the newlyweds at 8.46pm. Ayden later brought his mother to tears with a speech thanking Syed Saddiq for helping her smile again and making both children feel part of his family.

Syed Saddiq used his own remarks to praise Bella's independence and answer criticism that they were not well matched. Bella closed the night by performing Bersama Aku Setia Selamanya, a new song about their relationship created with singer and composer Hael Husaini.

The reception came eight days after their Merdeka 118 wedding, where they married at 10.40am on October 10. Their celebrations will continue with public gatherings in Muar, Johor, on October 25 and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on October 31.

Fans know the couple as BASS, a combination of their names. Their wedding has brought together political colleagues, entertainment figures and television audiences, but the speeches at MITEC focused on the practical and emotional meaning of becoming a household of four.

Ayden thanks the man he calls Daddy

Ayden's speech recalled seeing Bella unhappy when he was younger. Addressing Syed Saddiq as Daddy, he explained that he had not always understood what was happening, but had recognised his mother's sadness.

Ayden, Bella's eldest child, described the change he noticed after Syed Saddiq entered their lives.

Slowly, I started seeing mummy smile more, heard her laugh more and I saw her become happy again.

The boy then thanked Syed Saddiq for welcoming him and Ara, describing a sense of belonging that went beyond his mother's marriage.

You have never made us feel like we were only mummy's children. You made us feel like we were also your family. Thank you for choosing mummy. Thank you for loving her.

Ayden also thanked Bella for the sacrifices she had made while raising them and offered a prayer for the marriage and their family. Syed Saddiq spoke affectionately about both children during the evening, calling them bright and saying he felt privileged to call them his own.

Bella shares Ayden and Ara with Singaporean singer and actor Aliff Aziz. Their marriage ended in a second divorce in 2024. At the reception, the children's own words and their mother's response placed their experience at the centre of the celebration.

Syed Saddiq answers criticism of their match

Syed Saddiq said he felt a responsibility as Bella's husband to respond to comments describing them as not sekufu. In this discussion, the Malay term refers to whether a couple are considered suitably matched in background or standing.

His response focused on Bella's work and family responsibilities rather than his political position or education. He said she had entered RTM's Bintang Kecil singing competition at five and moved with her family from Sabah to Kuala Lumpur two years later. By his account, she had been helping support her family since childhood.

Syed Saddiq contrasted those responsibilities with his own childhood, recalling that at seven he was still playing games with school friends. He also said that while he was studying at university, Bella was already a mother. He praised her ability to raise Ayden and Ara with care and said she was capable of doing so independently.

Speaking during the reception, the Muar MP expressed his happiness at their marriage.

I am the happiest person alive.

He added another description of how he felt about becoming Bella's husband.

I am the luckiest man on the face of this earth.

Bella later said she had not known he would deliver that defence of her. She felt touched and relieved that someone sincerely loved both her and her children. She had not asked him to respond to the criticism, saying public attention was part of life as a celebrity.

Siti Nurhaliza brings a song and marriage advice

Siti Nurhaliza performed Bukan Cinta Biasa at the newlyweds' request, returning to the stage a day after her October 17 Konsert Tradisional Gema Bumantara at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The singer, who said she knew both Bella and Syed Saddiq personally, described them as having positive and good personalities. She explained why the song suited the occasion.

If we listen to the lyrics, it is about a love that is not ordinary.

Bukan Cinta Biasa has remained part of Siti's repertoire for more than two decades. Its awards include Choice Music Video at Anugerah Era 2003, Most Popular Song at Anugerah Planet Muzik 2004 and Best Musical Arrangement in a Song at Anugerah Industri Muzik 2004.

Siti also offered advice drawn from her own marriage, encouraging the couple to accept each other's strengths and weaknesses and help make up for each other's shortcomings. As a Cuckoo Malaysia ambassador, she presented them with a mattress, an air purifier, a water purifier, two mascots and a massage chair.

Bella's surprise song tells their story

Bella's performance of Bersama Aku Setia Selamanya gave the reception a new song alongside familiar favourites. She said it described her relationship with Syed Saddiq and had been prepared in a relatively short time with Hael Husaini's help.

Hael assisted with the lyrics and attended all three studio recording sessions, according to Bella. She said she was nervous about singing it for the first time. Syed Saddiq said the performance moved him, particularly because he was hearing the song for the first time himself.

Bella said an official release would follow soon. Neither a release date nor the exact timing and destination of the couple's honeymoon had been announced.

The song also connected the wedding to Bella's working life as a performer. Earlier in the evening, guests heard Jaclyn Victor and live accompaniment from Datuk Mokhzani and his DM & String Ensemble. Bella's sibling Didi Astillah and their father also performed, accompanied by Can't Help Falling in Love.

Fashion, traditional dance and familiar faces

Both newlyweds wore two outfits during the reception. Rizalman designed their first looks, while Hijabistahub created Syed Saddiq's second outfit and Alia Bastamam designed Bella's. Before the event, a custom songket handwoven in Terengganu had also been announced as part of the reception wardrobe.

Permata Seni Tari performed traditional dances including Zapin Nikah Kahwin and Joget Kenduri Kendara. The programme included family blessings, photographs, messages from Syed Saddiq's parents, a video montage and the cutting of the wedding cake.

Political guests included Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Law and Institutional Reform Minister Azalina Othman. Entertainment figures included Scha Al-Yahya and Awal Ashaari, Fazura, Amelia Henderson, Fasha Sandha and Aidil Aziz, Sweet Qismina and Adam Lee, and Hairul Azreen and Hanis Zalikha.

Aina Abdul, Sarah Suhairi, Ikmal Amry, Azira Shafinaz, Sophia Lian, Liza Abdullah, Michael Ang and Rosix Omar were also among those attending. Masira Yasmin Mokhzani, granddaughter of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, joined the guests. The reception brought together the political and entertainment circles represented in the couple's wedding parties.

How the October 10 ceremony began the celebrations

Syed Saddiq and Bella became engaged on March 28 after a proposal atop Mount Kinabalu. Their October 10 solemnisation took place on the 118th floor of Merdeka 118, in a ceremony described as the first wedding held at the skyscraper.

Former Federal Territories mufti Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri officiated, with Bella's father, Awang Astillah Abdullah, acting as her wali, or marriage guardian. Syed Saddiq presented a RM500 mas kahwin, the obligatory marriage gift to the bride. The customary hantaran gifts were presented separately, on seven trays from the groom's side and nine from the bride's.

The groom's gifts included RM100,000 in Employees Provident Fund savings through the i-Simpan voluntary savings facility, an umrah pilgrimage package, a scholarship for Bella to pursue a master's degree in communication at Taylor's University, and insurance protection for her and the children. Bella's gifts included tickets to the 2027 Ultraman Australia endurance race.

Preparations anticipated approximately 255 guests, while attendance was later put at about 300. The MITEC reception's roughly 3,000 guests made it a much larger gathering than the solemnisation.

Zaimi Zulkafli designed their ceremony outfits, named Tenang, with inspiration from Madinah, including the umbrellas at Masjid Nabawi and the prayer carpets of the Raudhah. Syed Saddiq's father said the Arabian and Islamic design concept honoured the family's roots in Hadramawt, Yemen.

Bella's bridal party included her sister Didi, Elyssa Murni Johari, Tya Arifin and Cut Zahra Ermanda. Syed Saddiq's entourage included Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz and party co-founder Luqman Long. The newlyweds also met 250 fans at the Garden Room of Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur during the celebrations.

Astro sets out the television schedule

Astro's official programme schedule describes an eight episode series covering preparations, the solemnisation, the MITEC reception and married life. The programme is available exclusively through Astro and Sooka.

Episodes one and two were scheduled for October 6 and 7 at 11pm on Astro Ria, Channel 104. Episode three, covering the Merdeka 118 solemnisation, was scheduled live from 9am on October 10. Astro listed episode four, the MITEC reception, as a live broadcast at 11pm on October 18, later than the evening's opening activities.

Episodes five to eight are scheduled between October 27 and November 17 at 11pm. Astro says they will follow the couple as they adjust to marriage, spend time with the children and prepare for their honeymoon.

Bella has already described one change away from the reception stage: she and the children have moved into Syed Saddiq's home and are adjusting to a new routine. She said she was learning his simple preferences, including cereal for breakfast and occasional pancakes at weekends.

Public feasts come before the honeymoon

Syed Saddiq said the honeymoon would wait until Parliament's current sitting ends in December. He intended to return to Parliament after the reception and said his responsibilities to the people who elected him remained a priority.

The Muar MP explained how he planned to balance his marriage with his parliamentary work.

While I owe a duty to my wife in my private capacity, I also owe a duty to my fellow Malaysians who elected me to Parliament.

The couple plan shorter breaks in the meantime, and Syed Saddiq hopes Ayden and Ara will join the honeymoon. He wants the destination to be a surprise, including for Bella.

Before that trip, two Kenduri Rakyat celebrations will take the festivities to his constituency and her home city. Kenduri Rakyat means a community feast, and members of the public have been invited to participate. Earlier plans for Muar included distributing more than RM300,000 worth of daily essentials to families in need.

The main dates in the couple's celebrations are:

• March 28: Bella and Syed Saddiq became engaged following the Mount Kinabalu proposal.
• October 10, 2026: They married at Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur.
• October 18: About 3,000 guests attended their MITEC reception.
• October 25: A public Kenduri Rakyat is scheduled in Muar, Johor.
• October 31: Another public reception is scheduled in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
• October 27 to November 17: Astro schedules the final four episodes of the wedding series.
• December: Syed Saddiq plans to take the honeymoon after the parliamentary sitting ends.

Key Points

• Syed Saddiq and Bella celebrated their marriage at MITEC on October 18 before about 3,000 guests.
• Bella's son Ayden thanked Syed Saddiq for welcoming him and his sister Ara into the family.
• Syed Saddiq praised Bella's independence and answered criticism that they were not well matched.
• Siti Nurhaliza performed Bukan Cinta Biasa, while Bella surprised her husband with a new song created with Hael Husaini.
• Public receptions are planned for Muar on October 25 and Kota Kinabalu on October 31.
• The honeymoon is planned for after Parliament's current sitting ends in December.