A scene from the film ‘Ola Bola’ that recaptures the Malaysian football team’s glory days. — Handout via CinemaOnline

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — The inclusion of non-Bahasa Malaysia films in the 28th Malaysia Film Festival’s (FFM) national-level award categories is an insult to the Federal Constitution, the Film Directors’ Association of Malaysia (FDAM) has claimed.

The FDAM said it was sticking to its view that language was inseparable from arts and culture, insisting that all national-level awards for arts and culture should be for works in the national language.

“Any attempt to allow, recognise, or elevate works which are not in the national language for major national awards is an act that insults and disparages the country’s Constitution, and does not respect the Rukun Negara,” it said in a Malay-language statement yesterday signed off by its honorary secretary Datuk Abdul Rahim Awang.

Citing the need to respect and uphold the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara’s principles, FDAM went on to say it does not want to be involved in activities that go against them.

It said it would not back the 28th FFM after the change in the latter’s award categories.

“Based on that stand, FDAM will no longer be with FFM28 starting from the second the Constitution was violated and insulted through the recognition of works that are not in the national language for national-level awards,” it 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 FDAM assistant general secretary Hafiz Ibrahim to submit his resignation from the board and taking to Facebook to say all Malaysian films should be contested at the FFM without segmentation regardless of language.

On Wednesday, 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.

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) as the festival organiser said yesterday that 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.

The non-Bahasa Malaysia category for Best Picture was introduced in 2011, while the non-Bahasa Malaysia categories for Best Screenplay and Best Director were introduced this year.