By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 30: The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Youth wing has defended the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture’s (MOTAC) organisation of Rain Rave Water Music Festival 2026 in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, stressing that tourism-related programmes should be viewed as strategic economic investments rather than public expenditure waste.
PDP Youth chief David Yeo Ang Lim said the narrative questioning the purpose of events such as the Pesta Air was “fundamentally misplaced”, adding that such programmes are designed as tourism activation initiatives to stimulate visitor arrivals, spending, and broader economic activity.
Referring to recent remarks by United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who had questioned the event’s organisation and called for Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Dato Sri Tiong King Sing to be removed from his post, Yeo said the criticism reflected a misunderstanding of tourism economics.
He emphasised that tourism is a revenue-generating sector rather than a cost centre, noting that events of this nature benefit small and medium enterprises (SMEs), hospitality players, transport operators, and informal businesses such as street vendors.
“Tourism events are not simply entertainment activities. They are structured interventions meant to drive economic circulation and support livelihoods across multiple sectors,” he said in a statement.
Yeo cautioned against labelling such initiatives as wasteful spending, arguing that doing so ignores the multiplier effect generated by tourism expenditure.
“In a slowing economic environment, stimulating demand is not optional—it is necessary,” he added.
On claims linking water festival events to water supply issues or cloud seeding efforts, he said such comparisons were misleading and did not reflect actual resource management practices.
He stressed that the events operate under controlled frameworks and do not have a material impact on public water supply.
Yeo also criticised attempts to politicise economic programmes, saying public discourse should be based on facts rather than narratives aimed at attracting attention.
He further questioned whether critics were offering viable alternatives if such economic initiatives were discouraged.
Without naming other parties directly, he also referred to differing political positions on similar tourism-related programmes, including support shown by certain state administrations for cultural events such as Songkran celebrations in Kedah.
Yeo said inconsistent positions highlighted the need for a more coherent and fact-based approach to economic policy discussions.
He added that excessive politicisation of development initiatives risks undermining investor and industry confidence, particularly at a time when Malaysia’s tourism sector is still recovering.
“Malaysia needs a more mature policy discussion grounded in economic realities, not reactive narratives that oversimplify complex decisions,” he said.
Yeo reiterated PDP Youth’s support for a pragmatic economic development approach, saying policies must be guided by measurable outcomes such as job creation, income generation, and sectoral growth.
“Not every issue needs to be turned into controversy. If the goal is noise, that is easy. If the goal is economic progress, that requires substance,” he said.
He urged all parties to prioritise constructive engagement in supporting Malaysia’s tourism recovery and broader economic agenda. — DayakDaily
