Absent Without Leave by Lau Kek Huat

A documentary by Sitiawan-born Lau Kek Huat, Absent Without Leave traces the hidden history of Lau’s grandfather who was a member of the banned Malaysian Communist Party. The film was screened at film festivals around the world and won the Audience Award at the Singapore International Film Festival. According to media reports, the documentary was refused a screening permit in Malaysia because it contained “communist overtones”. The film’s produces, Hummingbird Productions made the documentary freely available on the internet for Malaysian audiences to view from February 28th to March 5th 2017.