KUALA LUMPUR: Popular actor Tony Eusoff has been without a job over the last two years, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO).
The 44-year-old star of P. Ramlee The Musical said that he missed going to film sets, and often feared that the indefinite MCO could force him into bankruptcy.
"Even though things have been relaxed a little for the creative industry, it is not easy adapting to the new normal. We have to adhere to strict standard operating procedures (SOP) and do our best," he said in a news report today.
Tony said that acting was his only source of income, and he had to fork out all his savings to survive during the MCO.
"For the first time in my life, I feel that I am not contributing to society as I am out of a job, and being jobless is a strain on the mental health," he said.
However, Tony is lucky to have rediscovered his passion for drawing.
"I have not been drawing for two decades, and it is good that the MCO has helped me rediscover an old hobby."
Tony admitted that the MCO had also made him gain weight, despite exercising at home.
To beat boredom, he became a volunteer at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre which has been transformed into a vaccination centre.
"I have been a volunteer for a month now. It is good to go out and breathe in the fresh air."
Tony misses his loved ones in Kuching, Sarawak, and celebrated Christmas alone in the Klang Valley last year.
"We all miss our families as we cannot travel home yet. But what is more important is staying safe from Covid-19," said Tony, who advised Malaysians to get vaccinated and observe the SOPs.