Malaysian actress Rita Rudaini lashed out online after she was dropped from an acting gig due to her unvaccinated status.
The 45-year-old former Teen Goddess finalist who had expressed concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine, took to Instagram yesterday to lament about her situation to her two million followers. She did not reveal details of the gig she was purportedly dropped from.
“Once again, I’ve been removed from a gig that was confirmed, just because of the National Security Council’s SOPs, which are discriminatory,” she wrote in a caption. Rita has been hesitant about taking the vaccine because she does not believe it is effective against the coronavirus.
Authorities from the National Security Council earlier this month decided to only allow fully-vaccinated persons in the creative industry, including filming, to return to work with mandatory COVID-19 testings taking place before, during, and after shoots – something that didn’t seem to make sense to Rita.
“Why are swab tests required for work anyway, if a person has been vaccinated? The SOP is still the same as before vaccines arrived. Aren’t those who are vaccinated also carriers of the virus?” the Bicara Aur Dengan Tebing drama actress said on Instagram.
She added: “Even though it’s not compulsory, we are being forced [to get the vaccine]. Malaysia is a country that discriminates…”
The latest rejection comes a month after Rita said she was removed from acting in a 100-episode show without disclosing the title. She also claimed she refused an offer of a fake vaccination certificate because she didn’t want to be “dishonest.”
“I want to make an honest living,” she said.
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