Film maker Amir Muhammad has blamed a series of stinging reports published last week by a Malay daily for the ban of his semi-musical documentary, The Last Communist.

"All seemed to be going well until Berita Harian ran a series of articles criticising the (censorship board's) decision to approve the documentary," said Amir in a posting dated today on his weblog for the film.

The Last Communist (Lelaki Komunis Terakhir) chronicles the life of ex-communist leader in exile, Chin Peng, and was scheduled for screening on May 18 in Kuala Lumpur until it was banned by the Home Affairs Ministry last Friday.

Three articles which appeared on May 3, 4 and 5 editions of the Malay daily included interviews with politicians, film makers and academics lambasting Amir and his film.

"No one in Berita Harian has seen the documentary. And no one interviewed by Berita Harian had seen it either [...] Some of them didn't even know of its existence until Berita Harian told them," lamented Amir.

Puteri Umno chief Noraini Ahmad had described the censorship board's approval of the controversial documentary as "inappropriate" because it was wrong to "glorify" Chin Peng, reported the daily on May 3.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Film Producers Association president Ruhani Abdul Rahman expressed her shock and disappointment over Amir's decision not to "promote the dignity and struggle of nationalistic heroes".

"Are there no Malay heroes that Amir can promote (angkat) through his documentary?" asked Ruhaini, the daily reported on May 5.

The daily's assistant entertainment editor, Akmal Abdullah, also questioned the scheduled screening of the movie in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, which he described were "Chinese majority areas".

"We hope that after this, Amir and film makers from the new generation of Malays, will pay more attention to the struggles of heroes from their own race..." said Akmal in his Thursday column 'Epilog' on May 4.

Describing these articles as the product of a "culturally chauvinistic" newspaper, Amir believed that Berita Harian's central objection to his film was that Chin Peng is an ethnic Chinese.

During the communist insurgency since 1946, Chin Peng led the Communist Party of Malaya in bloody guerilla campaign until the Hadyai Peace Accord in 1989.

Screening for Special Branch

Amir explained that the 90-minute film did not feature actual interviews with Chin Peng or even depicted his photos, but interviews with people who live in various towns previously known for communist activity.

According to Amir, Chin Peng was only mentioned once during these interviews. Amir added that the film had been passed uncut in various countries, including neighbouring Singapore.

"The censorship board, whose job is to monitor these things, had obviously found nothing objectionable in the film; this is why it was passed uncut," said Amir.

He said that he even hold a special screening for the Special Branch of the police, whose officers did not object to the film either.

The irate film director also dismissed Akmal's suggestion that the movie was intentionally planned for screening in "Chinese majority areas", but rather, cinemas equipped to screen the movie, which is in digital-video format, were only found in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

Amir maintained that the film was never meant to be commercially screen but to serve as a documentary, and not propaganda.

In another development, The Sun today reported that Home Affairs Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad was the person responsible for imposing the ban after negative public response to the film based on news reports.

"Under Section 26 of the Film Censorship Act 2002, the minister has the right to revoke or cancel approval because of public interest, and that is why the movie is not being screened," Tan Chai Ho, Radi's deputy, said yesterday.

Amir and production house Red Films will be appealing the ministry's decision soon.