IT’S BEEN dubbed the ‘wedding of the year’ and with good reason with the nuptials between a young charismatic politician and a rising star of the entertainment industry.
Muar MP Syed Saddiq and singer Dayang Nabellah Awang Astillah (or popularly known as Bella), tied the knot on Saturday (Oct 10) with the ceremony being broadcast live by Astro!
The ceremony itself was attended by many a political big wig as well as high profile celebrities alongside a coterie of family and friends at Menara 118 a.k.a. Menara Merdeka Maybank which was deemed the world’s second-tallest building.
If that isn’t proof of the couple’s high public profile, the amount of tittle tattle online is definitely an indicator of the ‘BASS’ (as the power couple is affectionately dubbed by their followers) brand’s popularity.
Indeed, much attention was drawn to the long list of hantaran (dowry gifts) themed Growing Old Together that was very much on show.
The Muar MP’s gifts to his singer spouse include “high class” items include “gold as high as Mt Kinabalu”, a massage chair, a home gym and a S-Works roadbike enthused this obviously impressed observer on Thread.
More pertinently were the hantaran items that sought to secure the long-term future of his 32-year-old wife such as a EPF i-simpan deposit amounting to RM100,000 as well as provisions for her to continue her studies at Taylor’s University.
Rounding off the theme of ‘growing old together’ was a package to perform umrah.
More than a few applauded the Muar MP for his well-thought-out gifts that were a boon for all involved.
However, not everyone was enthused by this display of “sponsored goodies”.
According to Threader @fleatslere, the once co-founder of MUDA is a sharp millennial cookie but has apparently tarnished his own image with a “tacky nikah ceremony” that was nothing more than an “advertisement board for sponsored products”.
There were those who agreed that such ostentatious displays of hantaran turned the wedding into a tasteless sponsorship event.
Regardless of whether one was a fan or follower of “BASS”, it is unbecoming for keyboard warriors to be passing judgement on their happy day.
It was the opinion of Threader Qiqi Aqilah Kamari (@theqiqikamari) that the wedding was a great opportunity for both personalities to “manufacture relevance” and to “plot themselves in the eyes of their fans”.
Though such a view may sound cynical, this commenter only had well-wishes for the happy couple.
This sentiment was echoed by a commenter who found the entire affair to have an air of innocence and nonchalance to it.
As long as the happy couple weren’t committing any offences, he quite rightly called on Malaysians to not “over-complicate things”.
For sure, both individuals are high profile personalities in their respective spheres. Combined, they become even more significant as can be seen by the interest their wedding drummed up.
“BASS” was trending and as can be seen from the content highlighted above, opinions are divided on the display of hantaran.
How the couple wants to celebrate their nuptials, as pointed out by some, is entirely at their discretion.
However, as a pair very much in the public eye, careful management of the image presented is crucial, especially for those standing for public office or seeking popularity ratings. – Oct 11, 2026
Editor’s Note: The happy couple will hold a reception at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 18, followed by public celebrations under the name Kenduri Rakyat in Muar, Johor on Oct 25 and in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Oct 31.
