In a statement, the Port Dickson MP said energy and natural resources minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s assertion that the area was within the forest reserve, and thus could not have been subject to logging activities, was “inaccurate and misleading.”

“Referring to the flooding that occurred in the area earlier, the ministry should conduct a thorough investigation into whether there is any forest encroachment activity there,” Anwar said.

In the Dewan Rakyat, Takiyuddin had insisted that the flooding was not linked to logging and that it was instead an “act of god”.

Anwar cited data from the Kedah state forestry department that identified 3,500ha of protected land that had been illegally explored since 2011, as well as testimony from experts that pointed to human interference as causes for the flooding.

“I urge the minister to perform more serious monitoring and stop misusing the concept of ‘destiny’, since the main factors come down to human greed,” he said.