An environmental group has urged the Pahang government to reconsider its decision to reject a National Forestry (Amendment) Act 2022 requirement on holding a public inquiry prior to removing land from permanent forest reserves.

Labelling the move as an "outrageous step backwards" in environmental governance, Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) president Rajesh Nagarajan called on the state government to immediately restore the requirement.