PETALING JAYA, June 15 — Controversy-plagued actress Fathia Latiff, who previously came under fire when she stopped wearing the tudung, recently began wearing the religious headscarf again.
The 33-year-old, whose real name is Nur Fathia Abdul Latiff, started wearing the tudung prior to Ramadan and said she’s ready for the comments floodgates to open.
Fathia told Harian Metro it was unavoidable if fans want to claim that she was toying with religion.
“I definitely will be criticised and I can’t do anything but I like criticism because what is being said is true.
“I’ll learn from it and accept what is said for my own good — they’ve helped me change.
“Even though what they said was harsh, but it’s the truth, so why wouldn’t I listen?” said Fathia.
The Nur Kasih star decided to wear the tudung again after more than a year of removing it following a heart-to-heart talk with her mother and other family members.
“My mother asked how many times do I want to wear the tudung and take it off. We must have principles in life.
“The movement control order gave me plenty of time with my family and led me to my decision.
“I’ve always been searching for myself so when I’m with my loved ones for Tarawih prayers, for example, I felt that guidance was slowly coming back to me,” she said.
Fathia added that when she wasn’t wearing the tudung, she often felt scared, nervous and anxious whenever people looked at her.
“I think I was too egoistic when I made the decision to remove the tudung before this.
“Without it, I felt uneasy and not at peace but now when I go out, I feel relieved,” she said.
Fathia has also been attending self-help classes at the request of her family.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the actress only leaves home for important matters.
“I’m not like I used to be, not so easy to influence at this age,” she said.
“I don’t have many close friends but senior artistes such as Che Ta have been giving me lots of moral support,” Fathia said, referring to actress and businesswoman Rozita Che Wan.
Fathia said she subscribes to the belief that Muslims must wear the tudung.
“Not wearing the tudung is wrong — I need to understand that and I will be strong,” she said.
Commenting on whether her new image was part of a marketing strategy, Fathia said she was used to such assumptions.
“The truth is, I didn’t wear the tudung even when I was selling headscarves.
“I admit that doing business was one of the factors that drew me to wear the tudung again.
“I made the decision to take it off in a hurry and I was fighting what was right and now I finally realise that as a Muslim woman, I have to wear the tudung,” she said.
Fathia also said she was wiser with age and doesn’t want to go against her family’s will.
Last year, Fathia found herself under the harsh light of public scrutiny when she decided to stop wearing the tudung.
She revealed to a Malay news publication that she underwent depression during the three years she wore the tudung because she chose to wear it for all the wrong reasons.
The actress was also slammed by many in September last year when she was seen in revealing clothes along with a short haircut during her birthday celebration.
