Abroad
'If it's against your beliefs, don't attend': M'sian tourism minister on those who wanted to cancel water festival due to religious sensitivities
Several opposing (and some government related) politicians have called for the festival's cancelation, citing waste, religious sensitivities, and hedonism.
May 01, 2026, 06:42 PM
Image via Dollah.official/Instagram
Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing has rebuked those who would “politicise” the Rain Rave Water Music Festival, after many groups in Malaysia had called for its cancellation.
Manning the water cannon
The Rain Rave Water Music Festival is a multi-day water-themed music event held along Jalan Bukit Bintang, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Tiong has been staunchly supporting the festival, especially in the face of many opponents in the week running up to the event.
His support was in full display on the festival’s opening day, Apr. 30, where Tiong stoically manned a water cannon, while Malaysian girl-group Dolla performed behind him.
A video posted to the group’s Instagram showed Tiong dutifully moving the water cannon up and down and from side to side, with a very serious expression on his face.
No political manoeuvring
Tiong then attended a press conference where he once again defended the festival.
The festival, he said, was solely aimed at boosting tourism, and should not have been a subject of political manoeuvring, as reported by World of Buzz.
Adding that the event was an opportunity for local vendors and food sellers to increase their income, and that its timing was related to the Labour Day public holiday, dismissing claims of a connection with the Thai Songkran festival.
The Songkran festival commemorates the Buddhist New Year in Thailand, and participants traditionally douse each other with water in public.
Tiong stressed that the event was merely a music festival with “a water-based concept” and bore no relation to Songkran.
Sensitivities and opposition
MalaysiaKini quoted an opposition Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) politician opposing the festival, citing religious sensitivities.
Anwar Syazwan Ahmad, PAS's Federal Territories Youth Chief, complained on Apr. 23 that the timing of the festival during a time of war and prolonged suffering in the Middle East was a “betrayal of humanity”.
He also raised issues of cultural sensitivity, saying that the festival promoted hedonism, citing previous festivals where such behaviour had been observed.
He had called for the cancellation of the event, saying it was a “failure of moral sensitivity” and “leniency towards deviant culture.”
Tiong was not spared criticism by those ostensibly in Malaysia’s unity government coalition, with UMNO Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh on Apr. 30 comparing the holding of the event to an earlier decision by the government to cancel Hari Raya open houses to save government funds.
Free Malaysia Today reported that Akmal had said that the closing of open houses had not been opposed by his group, but questioned why the festival was allowed to continue, saying such open houses would have benefited the public and local vendors as well, and questioning whether the festival was not also similarly wasteful.
Politicisation
Tiong, a member of the Sarawakian Progressive Democratic Party, rejected these comparisons, asking “how will the economy develop if everything is politicised?”
He assured the public that stringent safety measures had been put in place and that the government would not compromise on illegal activities, including drug use and alcohol-related offences, with police present throughout the venue to “maintain order.”
He encouraged members of the public to attend the event, saying, “Those who feel comfortable attending are welcome.”
“If your beliefs do not permit it, then you should not attend.”
