However, the department was unable to explain how the approval was given to clear-fell the 10,000-acre land located near Nenasi - about 100km south of Kuantan - despite that almost 90 percent of the area is classified as permanent forest reserve.

Pressed on the EIA report, the department's director Hassan Mat conceded that an environmental impact assessment was not done.

"The EIA was not required as the 10,000-acre land has been divided into 10 separate small plots," Hassan told malaysiakini.