KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Inside the Yong Shen Banquet hall in Muar last Sunday, a volunteer medic team was kneeling beside guests who had fainted, vomited or grown too weak to stand at the Kenduri Rakyat of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and actress-singer Bella Astillah.

Muar-based doctor Dr Muhammad Al-Amin Tajuldin, his wife Dr Nurul Fadzlyza Mohd Taha and a few of their staff who had offered their medical services for the event were kept on their feet for almost the whole event, from 12.30pm to 5pm. 

“As I recall, our team treated about seven people,” Dr Amin told Malay Mail when contacted.

“This was only the number we managed to treat, and I believe the actual number of those affected was much higher,” he said.

Dr Amin said the patients were not only those above 60 and the very young, as two were children and two were women in their 20s suffering from heat exhaustion.

Some had lost consciousness and some were vomiting, while others were so lethargic they could not stand before being treated, he added.

The crowds had begun lining up at 9am, more than four hours before the doors opened at 1.30pm, and the hot, rain-free weather lasted from morning to afternoon.

Dr Amin said the hall’s ventilation could not cope with so many people, which made conditions inside even hotter.

Even the couple, known to fans as BASS (it’s their initials combined), struggled to get through the throng and had to be escorted in by police officers and civil volunteer corps personnel.

Dr Amin said the team started out with four people, led by Dr Lyza, adding that a fifth staff member was called in as cases mounted.

“To be honest, I did not expect things to be this intense,” the 35-year-old said.

He had braced for one or two minor cases, such as mild fainting or a food allergy.

“I also encountered several individuals who were aware they were unwell yet still attended, and even failed to take their prescribed medication, such as hypertension drugs. This is quite concerning,” he said.  

All the patients were stabilised and none needed to be referred to hospital, but Dr Amin said the response could have been better.

“I believe we can do much better in the future,” he said.

Dr Amin, who has been a medical practitioner for 11 years, said his clinic is near the wedding hall and his team was free that weekend, so they offered their help, which Syed Saddiq’s representatives accepted.

His biggest takeaway, he said, is that large events need medical cover.

“While not every event strictly requires a medical team, large-scale events involving thousands or tens of thousands of attendees absolutely do,” he said.

He advised organisers to have paramedics on site at the very least, and ideally a doctor on standby.

He also urged vulnerable groups to avoid overcrowded venues and to take their medication beforehand.

Parents, he added, should be more careful when bringing young children to such events, as several became separated from their families during the kenduri.

Malay Mail has contacted Syed Saddiq’s team for comment but has yet to receive a response at the time of writing.

BASS tied the knot on October 10 at Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur in an all-white ceremony attended by close family, friends and prominent political figures.

They held a wedding reception at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur on October 18.

The celebrations are scheduled to continue with another Kenduri Rakyat in Bella’s home state of Sabah on October 31 in Kota Kinabalu.