Sat Aug 6 14:50:52 UTC 2016

Malaysian film awards chief jurist cites Constitution in defence of
language segregation policy

Saturday August 6, 2016
10:46 AM GMT+8
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   <http://www.themalaymailonline.com/print/malaysia/malaysian-film-awards-chief-jurist-cites-constitution-in-defence-of-languag>

[image: Shanjhey Kumar Perumal’s Jagat was left out of nominations for the
main Best Picture at FFM28. — file pic]Shanjhey Kumar Perumal’s Jagat was
left out of nominations for the main Best Picture at FFM28. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — The chief jurist for next month's 28th Malaysia Film
Festival Awards (FFM28) defended the language segregation policy for the
Best Picture category and urged enthusiasts not to racialise the issue.

Nancie Foo said the use of Bahasa Malaysia as factor in the main Best
Picture award category was in line with the Federal Constitution to
preserve its identity as the national language.

But she also said FFM had introduced three new categories in recent years
to accommodate films in other tongues.

“In 2011, we introduced the Best Picture for non-Bahasa Malaysia category
to provide an opportunity for films in languages other than Bahasa Malaysia
to compete.

“Now, we have added two more categories that is Best Screenplay and Best
Director for non-Bahasa Malaysia films,” she told Malay daily *Utusan
Malaysia Online* yesterday.

According to the report, Foo said filmmakers had been informed of the
Bahasa Malaysia requirement for their scripts in order to qualify for the
main Best Picture award, adding that they should accept the rules instead
of drawing racial lines on the issue.

“Film enthusiasts need not touch on racial sentiments because it’s clear
that Bahasa Malaysia has been an identity since before, in line with the
country’s Constitution,” she was quoted saying.

Two critically acclaimed local movies — Chiu Keng Guan’s *Ola Bola* and
Shanjhey Kumar Perumal’s *Jagat* — were left out of nominations for the
main Best Picture, sparking public outrage. Both however, were nominated
for Best Picture in the non-Bahasa Malaysia.

Local broadcaster Astro Awani reported Thursday that FFM, for the first
time, created non-Bahasa Malaysia categories for Best Director and Best
Screenplay this year.

The non-Bahasa Malaysia category for Best Picture was introduced last year,
which was won by Chiu’s *The Journey*.

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) and the
Malaysian Film Producers Association have said that the separation of award
categories in the FFM was meant to uphold the national language in local
films.

Finas director-general Datuk Kamil Othman told *Malay Mail Online*
yesterday that Finas has made it a policy for locally-made films to
emphasise at least “70 per cent” Bahasa Malaysia usage in their scripts,
but admitted it would be ideal if the Best Picture category in FFM was open
to all films regardless of language.

Best Cinematographer nominee Mohd Noor Kassim and popular actor-comedian
Afdlin Shauki have both said that they will boycott FFM28 because of the
segregation.

FFM28 will be held from September 1 to 3 with awards for 27 categories.
- See more at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysian-film-awards-chief-jurist-cites-constitution-in-defence-of-languag#sthash.NOa5o3SZ.dpuf

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