KUALA LUMPUR, 30 April 2026 – Democratic Action Party (DAP) Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timor and Political Education Director Howard Lee Chuan How has slammed UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh for what he described as “selective outrage” and blatant hypocrisy over the ongoing Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur.
In a strongly-worded media statement, Lee criticised Akmal’s fierce attack on the festival — which he labelled “the most stupid activity ever” — including his demands that the event be immediately cancelled and that the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture be removed from office.
While acknowledging Akmal’s right to offer religious advice to Muslims on personal grounds, Lee drew a clear line between personal conviction and political imposition.
“Personal religious conviction must be respected in a plural society,” Lee said. “But there is a vast difference between saying, ‘I choose not to participate,’ and declaring, ‘therefore nobody else should be allowed to participate.’ One is faith and the other is imposition.”
Lee pointed out that Akmal’s objection collapses under scrutiny when compared to similar water-themed events held in states governed by parties aligned with him.
Kedah, currently facing recurring water supply issues, reportedly allocated RM70,000 to support a state-level Songkran water festival, with organisers claiming water would be drawn from rivers and would not affect treated supply. Kelantan, where multiple districts including Tumpat, Tanah Merah, Jeli, Kota Bharu Selatan and Gua Musang are experiencing or expected to face water disruptions, has also hosted water festivals without drawing Akmal’s ire.
Even more glaring, Lee noted, is the situation in Melaka, where Akmal himself serves as a state executive councillor and the state government is actively supporting a water music festival.
“Same activity. Different location. Different political treatment. That is the very definition of hypocrisy and double standard,” Lee said.
He also questioned the sincerity of Akmal’s water conservation argument, noting that Kuala Lumpur is not currently experiencing the same level of severe water supply crisis as Kedah and Kelantan.
“If Kedah can do it, if Kelantan can do it, and if Malacca can do it, why is Kuala Lumpur suddenly the exception?” Lee asked. “Is the issue really water usage, or is the issue who governs the state, who organises the event, and whether it is politically convenient to manufacture anger?”
Lee reminded Akmal of his own unfulfilled promise to resign as a state executive councillor, urging him to exercise caution before calling for others to step down.
On the economic front, Lee stressed that water music festivals are not mere “playing with water” but form part of Malaysia’s tourism and events economy, generating income for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, performers, vendors and small businesses.
“Malaysia cannot build a serious, modern, high-value economy if every cultural, entertainment or tourism initiative is immediately reduced to moral panic,” he said.
Lee urged Akmal, if genuinely concerned about water resources, to present concrete data on projected usage, compare it with available supply, and propose consistent national guidelines for water-based events across all states — rather than engaging in selective criticism.
“The issue was never the event. The issue is the hypocrisy of those who defend water festivals in one place, stay silent in another, and suddenly discover outrage only when it suits their politics,” Lee concluded.
The Rain Rave Water Music Festival is currently taking place in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur from 30 April to 2 May 2026.
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