Malaysia PM Anwar ribs MP Syed Saddiq over possible marriage with actress Bella Astillah

KUALA LUMPUR – Amid the hustle and bustle of Parliament, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman shared a light-hearted moment in the Parliament lobby.

Mr Syed Saddiq, who previously shared his wish to gift Datuk Seri Anwar two pairs of baju melayu – a traditional Malay costume for men – on social media, managed to do so on March 4.

Mr Anwar received the clothings from Mr Syed Saddiq, one in blue and another in pink. Blue is Mr Anwar’s favourite colour and also the colour of his party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The pink baju melayu, however, led to Mr Anwar teasing Mr Syed Saddiq, 33, over talk of his relationship with artist Bella Astillah, 31.

“Bella needs to be next to me, then I can wear it,’’ Mr Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, quipped.

Mr Syed Saddiq, who was the brand ambassador for the baju melayu brand gifted to Mr Anwar, blushed and replied: “Don’t tease me like that. That’s mine... Give me a chance.”

The banter continued as Mr Anwar asked if Mr Syed Saddiq had any plans to get married.

“So when is it?... Have you set the date yet?” Mr Anwar asked.

“Let’s just pray for it, Datuk Seri, don’t worry. Whatever happens, you’ll be the first to know,” Mr Syed Saddiq replied.

Rumours of Mr Syed Saddiq and Bella’s close relationship sparked after the two were chosen as ambassadors for a well-known clothing brand.

Outside their professional careers, the duo have been seen spending time together, from completing photoshoots to even climbing to the peak of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.

Bella was formerly married to Singapore singer-actor Aliff Aziz. The pair made headlines in March 2024 when Aliff was detained by the religious authorities on suspicion of committing khalwat (close proximity) with Malaysian actress Ruhainies.

Talk of a romance between Mr Syed Saddiq and Bella gained traction after her son Ayden called him “dad” during a recent visit to Parliament, Kosmo! reported.

Many were touched by a TikTok clip showing Ayden excitedly running to his mother and addressing Mr Syed Saddiq as “dad”.

What drew even more attention was when the MP introduced Ayden as his child.

“There’s my son, his mum’s bodyguard,” he quipped.

Netizens expressed emotional reactions, emphasising the importance of a father figure in a child’s life.

At the same time, Mr Syed Saddiq’s brother, Mr Syed Abdullah, has also shown his support if his younger sibling finds a match in Bella. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK