#SHOWBIZ: Syed Saddiq's massage chair wedding gift steals the show

KUALA LUMPUR: A massage chair presented by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to his new wife, actress and singer Bella Astillah, has amused Malaysians after the full-sized piece of furniture was wheeled straight into their wedding ceremony yesterday.

The massage chair was one of seven gift trays presented by Syed Saddiq to Bella during their solemnisation ceremony at Menara Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur.

The unusual choice quickly caught the attention of social media users, who were tickled to see a real, working appliance rather than a miniature model or a photo.

​Shairy Hanapiah, one of the men tasked with carrying the wedding gifts, took to social media to share how he ended up involved in the unexpected assignment.

He revealed that he was not originally on the list of helpers and had missed all the preparations.

​Instead, Shairy received a late-night call from Muda president Amira Aisya at 11.25pm, asking if he could help out the following morning.

An extra pair of hands was urgently needed to push the bulky massage chair into the venue.

​Recalling his reaction when a photograph of the chair landed on his WhatsApp, Shairy admitted he could not stop laughing at Syed Saddiq's choice.

​"What is this MP thinking?" he joked, expressing his surprise that the politician had opted for an actual, heavy-duty massage chair instead of a symbolic token.

​Even though he accepted the job at short notice, Shairy confessed he felt nervous about manoeuvring such a large item through the venue, especially with the event being livestreamed.

To make matters worse, he had no time for a rehearsal.

​"I didn't even get to join any rehearsal. Everything was impromptu! And the rest is history," he wrote, adding that everything went off without a hitch and the funny moment gave Malaysians a good laugh.

​Syed Saddiq later explained that his wedding gifts were chosen with long-term family well-being in mind, focusing on health and financial security.

Along with the massage chair, his seven trays included health and life insurance coverage, a bicycle, a study package, RM100,000 in Employees Provident Fund contributions, and a gym set.

Bella reciprocated with nine trays of gifts for her husband.

The couple tied the knot at 10.40am in a ceremony solemnised by former Federal Territories mufti Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri. Bella, 32, and Syed Saddiq, 33, exchanged their vows in front of close family and friends, kicking off their new chapter together.