KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 ― Film director Hafiz Ibrahim today welcomes the government's "positive” decision to abolish the non-Bahasa Malaysia categories for the Malaysia Film Festival (FFM), but has maintained that he will not reverse his earlier resignation from an industry association's board.

Hafiz, who held the Film Directors' Association of Malaysia (FDAM) assistant general secretary post, said he had submitted his resignation on Monday evening as soon as he saw FDAM's statement on the FFM awards which he said he was not consulted on.

"The board is deliberating my resignation at the moment. I have been removed from all board communications which is fair.

"My stand remains, I will not retract my resignation as FDAM is adamant with their stance,” the TV commercial and feature film director told Malay Mail Online today.

He said that he remains a FDAM member as it is a requirement under the government policy for an individual to be attached to an association in order to work, noting that his FDAM membership is needed when submitting forms to the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) to seek for approval of censors' certificate before TV commercials are aired.

"With regards to me and FDAM, I am still bound as a member for work as it is a requirement for MIM applications on TVC's. I have just sidelined myself from the board,” he said, referring to MIM (Made in Malaysia) Ruling Application Forms for TV Commercials (TVCs).

According to Hafiz, FDAM's stance is that the national language "should supersede all other languages when it comes to recognition” and that works produced in other languages should remain in their own categories.

"This to me sidelines other Malaysian films which are on par with or better than other national language films,” he said.

Weighing in on the ministry's decision to scrap the splitting of awards according to language, Hafiz said it was a positive move in the right direction for Malaysian films and "for the betterment of the industry”.

"Segregation only lowers the bar for Malaysia's already mediocre/non progressing film industry. Competition is needed to spur growth and keeps everyone on their toes.

"It is evident that a level playing field only makes for a better equal platform for all Malaysians to perform and outshine. In Film, there is only one language and that is film language that we speak across to our audiences. It is time for all film makers to buck up and face the challenges ahead,” he said.

Noting that it has taken a while for the local film industry to regain a multiracial audience, Hafiz also pointed out the reason for the public's recent uproar was due to the Malaysian audience becoming more diverse with every Malaysian now a  "stakeholder”.

"They want equality. But it doesn't mean that anyone is undermining the fact that Bahasa Malaysia is still the official language of the country,” he said.

On Monday, FDAM said in a statement 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.

The statement prompted Hafiz's Facebook announcement of his resignation from the board and his stand that all Malaysian films should be contested at the FFM without segmentation regardless of language.

Yesterday, the Communications and Multimedia Ministry decided to open up the FFM’s Best Picture category — previously restricted to films with 70 per cent Bahasa Malaysia content — to all films. It also created the Best Film in National Language category.

The announcement came after public outrage over the recent nominations of two critically acclaimed movies — Ola Bola and Jagat — for Best Picture (non-Bahasa Malaysia) at the 28th FFM this year, instead of the main Best Picture category.

Finas as the festival organiser said today it was abolishing all three non-Bahasa Malaysia categories at the 28th FFM, with films previously in these categories automatically placed in the main award categories of Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Director.