Guests crowd Syed Saddiq & Bella Astillah at public wedding, spark backlash for not respecting couple's personal space

Malaysian MP Syed Saddiq and singer-actress Bella Astillah held their third wedding celebration on Oct. 25, welcoming the public to a reception at Yong Sheng Banquet Hall in Muar, Johor.

And while the occasion drew crowds of well-wishers, some of the celebrations were overshadowed by online backlash over guests’ behaviour, with netizens criticising attendees for crowding the couple and failing to respect their personal space.

According to Utusan Melayu Plus, crowds filled both the inside and outside of the venue, making it difficult for the newlyweds to enter as people tried to see them and take photographs.

Criticism over personal space

The scenes sparked discussion online about wedding etiquette, with some social media users saying guests should have shown more consideration for the newlyweds.

Threads user @rienaazizz expressed sympathy for the couple, writing in Malay:

“I really feel sorry for the newlyweds. It’s their happy day, but their space wasn’t respected.”

The user contrasted the behaviour of ordinary attendees with that of celebrity guests, saying the former appeared to have forgotten how to show consideration for the occasion and the couple.

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Another Threads user, @abubakr_zulkifli, criticised people for swarming the reception, describing their behaviour as lacking manners.

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Woman seemingly pulled Bella towards her for a kiss

A separate video shared by @silxntrosx_ showed a woman pulling on Bella's neck to give the bride what appeared to be a kiss on the cheek.

The commented on the force of the gesture, writing in Malay: “Aunty, that was too much, yanking Bella’s neck like that.”

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Others replying to the post also expressed concern for Bella. One said it was fine to admire someone, but cautioned against becoming overly obsessed.

Another commenter urged people to forgive the woman, suggesting she might have become carried away with excitement.

Couple praised for remaining friendly

Alongside the criticism, the couple received praise for how they handled the crowds.

The ceremony started at 2pm, with attendees sharing that the venue was still crowded at nearly 6pm.

However, videos posted on various social media pages showed the newlyweds continuing to smile and greet guests warmly despite being hemmed in.

Users online also gave credit to the couple’s team and bodyguards for looking after them.

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Medic reports nine medical incidents

Mothership reporters on the ground reported that some attendees fainted amid the crowds at the reception.

This account was backed up by a member of the wedding’s medical team, posting on Threads as @amntjl, who said seven people suffered heatstroke and two experienced hypertensive urgency during the event.

In the same post, he added that all the affected individuals had been stabilised and resuscitated.

Writing after the reception, he added that receiving appreciation from Syed Saddiq and Bella had helped ease his fatigue.

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Who are Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah?

Syed Saddiq is the MP for Muar and a former Malaysian youth and sports minister. Bella Astillah is a Malaysian singer and actress from Sabah.

The two tied the knot at Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 10.

They subsequently held a reception at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 18, attended by around 3,000 guests.

The Muar reception was the first of two public wedding feasts organised for the newlyweds to celebrate with the community. Another is scheduled for Oct. 31 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah—Bella’s home state.

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