Veteran film critic Mansor Puteh described the decision to scrap the segregation between the national language and non-national language for the awards at the 28th Malaysia Film Festival (FFM) as a blow for non-Bahasa Malaysia filmmakers.

Mansor said in his personal view, the language segregation would have helped non-national language films to win the awards.

"Don't look down on Bahasa Malaysia films because even though some have gangsters as the theme, at least there are messages that can be taken away.

"The one that stands to lose out are non-Bahasa Malaysia film because it is the jury that will choose the winner and they have to follow the set rules, who can force them? Not even the minister.

"Now, there is a high likelihood that they will not have a chance to win after the categories have been combined," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

He was responding to Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak who yesterday instructed FFM to reverse its segregated category.

The FFM this year had decided to split the best film, best director and best screenplay awards into national and non-national languages categories, sparking criticism.

This year saw the production of several well-received films in various languages, making the awards a hotly contested one.

Salleh, who instructed the best film category to be opened to all, said that an additional "best film in the national language" would also be introduced at this year's FFM.

Asked about the new "best film in the national language", Mansor described it as if the world was being turned upside down.

"The award should be for non-Bahasa Malaysia films but not the other way around," he said.

Mansor studied filmmaking at the Columbia University, New York in 1978 and had also directed the film 'Seman' (1987). His critique has been widely published in the local media.

Meanwhile, film director and screen writer Al Jafree Md Yusof of Komuniti Filem Titiwangsa hailed the minister's decision.

"We were against segregation and when Salleh announced the best film category would be open to all, we were all delighted.

"Films that deserve to run in the best film category should be allowed to do so.

"And when I say that I mean 'Ola Bola' and 'Jagat'," he said.

Jafree is the screenwriter for 'Tulus Ikhlas', 'Paloh' and 'P Ramlee the Musical'. He also co-directed 'Senandung Malam' with Dain Said.

However, Jafree said he was not happy that there needed to be a new "best film in the national language" category.

He said the category made it appear as if there was a lack of confidence in Bahasa Malaysia films.

"Are there concerns that our (Bahasa Malaysia) films are not able to be the overall best?

"If we win, then we win; if we lose, then we lose," he said.