KUALA LUMPUR: Even before the event began, crowds had already started streaming into the venue of the kenduri rakyat hosted by Muar member of parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and his new wife, singer and actress Bella Astillah.
Some had been queuing for hours from early morning to ensure they could attend the event, held at the Yong Sheng Banquet Hall in Jalan Bakri, Muar, today.
In a post on Threads, a user known as Taufiq Ridzuan shared a video showing people queuing as early as 8am, despite the event being scheduled to begin only at 2pm.
The post reflected the public's excitement in joining in the celebration, with the couple having taken a different approach by hosting an open wedding feast for the community.
Syed Saddiq had earlier explained that the concept of the wedding feast was intended to bring their celebration closer to the people, while reviving the tradition of rewang, a communal practice deeply rooted in Malay culture where members of the community come together to help prepare for celebrations.
Adding to the significance of the occasion, besides food and drinks being served to guests, essential household items were distributed as tokens of appreciation to those who attended.
The event received support from sponsors, with contributions worth more than RM500,000 in the form of food, drinks, rice, coconut milk and essential goods, besides laptops, to be distributed during the celebration.
Syed Saddiq and Bella were officially married on Oct 10 in a solemnisation ceremony held at Level 118 of Menara Merdeka 118 here.
The couple held a wedding reception at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) on Oct 18.
On Saturday, the couple will hold another kenduri rakyat, this time in Sabah, where Bella was born.
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