KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — The PAS Kelantan government said today it would take sterner action against illegal logging after massive floods recently struck the east coast state.

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob pointed out, however, that the logging in Kelantan was in accordance with the limit of 5,960 hectares a year as set by the National Land Council and that forest management in the state has been certified by independent international agencies.

“Uncontrolled logging could be happening because of illegal explorations by irresponsible parties,” Ahmad said in a statement.

“It must also be noted that floods can be caused by other factors like excessive rainfall, as reported by the Meteorology Department, which also happened in almost all states in peninsular Malaysia,” he added.

Kelantan was the first state to be hit by what has been dubbed as “Malaysia’s tsunami”, followed by Terengganu, Pahang, and later, Perak and Johor.

More than 240,674 people were evacuated at one point from their homes in Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Johor, Perlis, Selangor and Kedah.

Although floodwaters are gradually receding in Kuala Krai and Kota Baru, weather forecasters have warned that the worst is not yet over in Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu.