Callbacks from macros.vm to local page macro is not possible anymore

It looks like the velocity upgrade to 1.6.2 has made callbacks from the main macros (macros.vm) to a local page macro impossible. This used to work on 1.8.x.
The following in syntax 1.0 worked in 1.8.x and now does not work in 1.9 release

In macros.vm add

#macro(callback $param)
#hello($param)
#end

In a page add:

#macro(hello $param)
Hello $param
#end

#callback("world")

In 1.8 this would dispaly "Hello World". In 1.9 the macro hello is not found and #hello(...) is displayed.

This is used in Curriki to be able to use a shared macro displaying a header, footer and other common elements, callback to a macro that only concerns the page. I don't have an easy way to workaround this change. Callbacks are usefull.