MALACCA - Despite the thick haze shrouding the city, a couple celebrated their marriage in grand style, by any stretch of the imagination. They used a 27-footer (8.2m) Chrysler limousine, probably the longest in Malaysia, as their wedding car.

Businessman Koh You Sem, 30, made heads turn as he picked up his 22-year-old bride Chan Pei Yee in a Chrysler 300C stretch limo.

The beaming groom said getting married was an important occassion in life and he wanted to make sure his wedding would be a memorable one.

"The car belongs to one of my clients, who generously lent it to me after learning that I was getting married. It is a rare sight for many and we are both amazed by its exquisite interior," said Koh, who is in the property and import and export business in Kuala Lumpur.

His wedding entourage left his home in Pulau Gadong at 7am on Sunday and headed for his bride's home at Taman Semabok Perdana despite the Air Pollution Index reaching hazardous levels of 357.

"We drove slowly as the visibility was rather low that morning," he said, adding that the distance between his home and his wife's was about 10km.

Asked if the hazy and dusty air caused a damper on his wedding day, Koh shrugged it off and noted that it made his wedding even more memorable.

"This, is in fact, the worst haze in Malacca's history. I think this will become a very significant memory for me and my wife in the future."