Question marks have emerged over why work appeared to have commenced at a site in Hulu Perak near Gerik over a year before the rare earth mining project was approved.

Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad on May 23 said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project was approved a week prior.

However, satellite images reviewed by Malaysiakini reveal what an environmentalist suspects are evidence of ongoing mining operations at the same site.

The site has been...