The director, who died 10 years ago after a stroke, is famous for capturing the true essence of Malaysian habits and values.

Her works remind people of the importance of mutual respect and tolerance in the daily lives of a multi-racial society.

Actress, singer and TV personality Adibah Noor, who was close to Yasmin, said she owes the director all her fame.

“If it weren’t for her formula of love among people and her boldness in highlighting talents that don’t usually conform to the features of a star, a lot of people might not know me,” she told FMT.

“Until this day, I’m still recognised and greeted by people of all races after appearing in her movies.”

She said Yasmin placed a lot of importance on racial unity and this was reflected in her works.

Born on Jan 7, 1958 in Muar, Johor, Yasmin held a degree in psychology from Newcastle University in the UK.

After making a name through her unique advertisements for Petronas, shown during various festivals, she went on to make movies like Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin and Talentime.

National unity always featured in her ads. Among her more memorable National Day advertisements were “Different World”, “Lee Yen’s Best Friend”, “1 Little India Boy” and “Tan Hong Ming”.

Film director Al Jafree Yusop said the country has lost a director who dared to deviate from conventional methods of storytelling.

“Yasmin was one of the few directors who dared to break the norms of storytelling.”