“We will adjust the programme to reduce elements that have caused controversy,” Utusan Malaysia reported him as saying.

The water festival, organised under the tourism, arts and culture ministry, had drawn backlash on social media, with some calling for it to be cancelled.

Selangor PAS Youth chief Sukri Omar also urged the organisers to reconsider, calling the festival a “foreign street party” and warning that road closures could paralyse the city’s pulse as well as affect traders and the public.

He also said the open-air festival and street-party format might conflict with local cultural values, public decorum and social harmony, given Malaysia’s multiethnic, Muslim-majority context.

However, Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association president Mint Leong said the event had been professionally planned and was aimed to showcase Malaysia as a safe, stable and vibrant multicultural nation while respecting racial and religious sensitivities.