SHAH ALAM, Jan 22 — Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah again refuted claims today that the recent floods in the state were caused by excessive logging, insisting instead that the water had come from the National Park forests.

Replying to an accusation in a forum on bipartisan post-flood efforts, Mohd Amar pointed out that Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakob himself had personally observed the flow of water from the National Park.

“Previously, the MB himself went on a helicopter ride, and a heavy amount of water came down from the National Park,” the PAS man said in the forum organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Mohd Amar clarified that the National Park is a designated conservation area that has remained untouched by logging activities.

“This is the weird thing. If the water had come from Gua Musang, then it is possible to say that logging was at fault. But it had come from the pristine National Park,” he added.

Earlier this month, Mentri Besar Ahmad Yaakob denied that Kelantan’s worst floods in recent history was the result of illegal logging, especially in timber-rich Gua Musang, insisting that the state has abided by its annual quota.

The state government also blamed heavy rain as the main culprit, quoting the Meteorological Department’s data showing that the amount of rain in the four days causing the floods was the same as rain in 64 days.

In addition, Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali of PAS’ Ulama Wing warned others against blaming and slandering Kelantan for the floods, labelling those who do so as “celupar”, or foul-mouthed.