Less than two weeks before it was due to be released, the Malaysian Home Ministry has banned Amir Muhammad’s film, Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (The Last Communist), despite it having been approved by the country’s Film Censorship Board which comes under the ministry.

A spokesman for Red Films, the film’s distributor, has confirmed that the company received a faxed letter from the ministry on Friday which noted that, although the film had been approved by the censors, the ministry had decided to ban it “in the interest of the public”.

Lelaki Komunis Terakhir was scheduled for screening at Golden Screen Cinemas in Gurney Plaza in Penang, Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur and 1 Utama in Selangor on May 18 and at a private charity event in Ipoh the next day.

“Red Films and Amir plan to respond to the ministry this week to confirm that we will abide by the letter,” she said. “We also plan to appeal to have a discussion with the ministry to review the decision to ban the film.”

Amir, the writer, director and producer of the film, is attending the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto, Canada, and will be heading to the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival after that. He is scheduled to return to Malaysia on Saturday.

Lelaki Komunis Terakhir, a “semi-musical documentary inspired by the early life and legacy of Chin Peng, exiled leader of the banned Communist Party of Malaya”, is among the films screened at both festivals.

The spokesman said the ministry’s decision came as a “surprise” because “we’ve already had a discussion with the censorship board prior to the approval”.

The film has a blog which you can check out here.

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