KUCHING: Malaysian actress, model and single mother Rita Rudaini has advised women to not forget themselves when they are in the throes of love.
“When we are in romantic love, we tend to romanticise situations and dream that he is the one for me and that he is my ‘heaven’.
“However, put yourself first, prioritise yourselves 80 per cent of the time and then let him (partner) have the 20 per cent,” she said after launching the fifth episode of ‘Anggun’ on TVS here on Sunday (June 9).
She said while it is men who need to shoulder a leadership role either in marriage or when leading their families, not many men are wise enough to do so.
Likewise not many women are wise themselves, she said.
Therefore, Rita hoped both men and women will resort to give and take solutions in navigating life.
Rita and footballer, Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak tied the knot in 2008, but divorced in September 2013.
Both of them have two sons, Airit Rayyan Rizqin, 15, and Airit Qaqa Arjuna, 13
Rita, 48, said she puts family as her main priority and that her two children mean the world to her.
“Family comes first and then my career comes after. To me, it is always family.
“While many would say, I may lose job opportunities because I have a family, if I lose my family, I have no one,” she stressed.
Rita manages her hectic schedule in a way that time with family is non-negotiable.
“If I am shooting and it can go on for months, I will try to fit in time for my children. If there are important dates like sports day, I will (have it) shot earlier, and I will prepare for my son’s sports day.
“It is the same with my son’s award ceremony, regardless of the day, I will try my best to ensure I am there,” she said.
She wants to ensure that her two sons grow up to be gentlemen, treating women with kindness, love and utmost respect.
At the same time Rita revealed that she tells her children to look for women who are kind-hearted, gentle and caring, and not ones that are disrespectful, superficial and ill-mannered.
Owing to her children’s love for animals, particularly cats, she has also grown fond of them.
“I love all animals, previously, I did not like cats but because my children love them, the love for cats naturally grew on me,” she said.
Rita said she spends quite a bit on animals, with a cat alone costing RM400 to RM500 but she takes it as a blessing.
The fifth episode of ‘Anggun’ featuring Rita alongside Nor Adila Syariah, a lawyer from Kuching, discusses ‘Perceraian bukan Pengakhiran’ (Divorce is not the End), which reflects on bittersweet phases of marriage.
The show airs every Sunday at 11am on TVS Channel 122 MYTV, Unifi TV, and Astro.
