KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — The assistant general secretary of the Film Directors’ Association of Malaysia (FDAM) has resigned after it expressed support for the Malaysia Film Festival’s (FFM) language segregation policy.

FDAM said in a statement yesterday that the national language is the Malay language and as such, national-level awards at the 28th FFM this year should only be open to Malay-language films.

"I am steadfast with the view that all Malaysian films should be contested without segmentation regardless of language at FFM,” FDAM assistant general secretary Hafiz Ibrahim said on his Facebook page yesterday.

"I have formally informed the board of my intention and the status of my resignation is subject to the approval of the board,” he added.

Local cinematographer Mohd Noor Kassim returned yesterday two trophies that he previously won at FFM and withdrew himself from being nominated for Bravo 5 at this year’s film awards ceremony, labelling the non-Bahasa Malaysia categories as "racist”.

Popular comedian and actor Afdlin Shauki has also announced his boycott of FFM.

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) said yesterday that the non-Bahasa Malaysia awards categories at the FFM this year, scheduled for September 1 to 3, may be abolished after public uproar.

The nominations of two critically acclaimed movies — Chiu Keng Guan’s Ola Bola and Shanjhey Kumar Perumal’s Jagat — for Best Picture (non-Bahasa Malaysia) at the 28th FFM, instead of the main Best Picture category, had sparked outrage both among the public and within the film industry.

There are also non-Bahasa Malaysia categories for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the national film awards ceremony this year.