KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — The 28th Malaysia Film Festival (FFM) has misinterpreted and “abused” the Federal Constitution by making the Best National Film category specifically for films in Bahasa Malaysia, MCA said today.
“FFM is using the constitutional status of Bahasa Malaysia as an excuse to set up the ‘Best National Film’ as the highest honour award which is clearly an abuse of the Federal Constitution and wrong interpretation of the Constitution,” MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said a statement.
She added that FFM was merely using the status of the Malay language in Malaysia as a crutch when there was already many policies, like requiring all those sitting for government exams to pass the Bahasa Malaysia subject, to safeguard it.
“FFM is using the constitutional status of Bahasa Malaysia as an excuse to set up the ‘Best National Film’ as the highest honour award which is clearly an abuse of the Federal Constitution and wrong interpretation of the Constitution,” she said a statement.
She added that FFM should not be segregating the film categories merely by language which may in turn stunt the growth of the film industry in Malaysia.
“Our daily life comprises of various ethnic languages and we hope FFM will look into the issue from the professional film art point of view and not adhere strictly to language and stifle the development of film in this country,” she added.
On Friday, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) chairman Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib said this year’s “main national award” of “Best National Film” will be for movies in Bahasa Malaysia only, with films of all languages will be placed under the “Best Malaysian Film” category.
The federal agency is the organiser of the film awards.
The Finas announcement was made after a Tuesday meeting between the minister and various groups from the local film industry, including the Film Directors’ Association of Malaysia (FDAM) that previously mounted a strong protest after the FFM’s main Best Picture award was opened up.
The FDAM had last week objected to the recognition of works not in Bahasa Malaysia for national-level awards, with its vice president Syed Zulkifli Syed Masir previously telling Malay Mail Online that the association wanted the newly-created Best Film in National Language to be elevated to be the main award and the most prestigious award of FFM.
The whole controversy had started when critically acclaimed films like Ola Bola and Jagat were initially disqualified from contesting the main Best Picture award, but were instead placed in the non-Bahasa Malaysia category for Best Picture that was introduced in 2011.
The creation this year of the non-Bahasa Malaysia categories for Best Screenplay and Best Director for the FFM28 also raised eyebrows and criticism, including from those within the film industry who pointed out that language is not the main criteria to determine excellence for these awards.
Under the latest award mechanism announced by Finas this Friday, all FFM28 awards will remain open to all films regardless of language, except for the special Best National Film for BM films only.
