KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has today urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate how Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) and Bestinet Sdn Bhd have obtained government contracts, following some controversial allegations against the two firms.

The Opposition Leader said the issues involving the two companies need quick intervention from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as they allegedly implicated former and current Cabinet members.

"This matter has eroded the public confidence in the government in managing public affairs as well as tarnishing our image in the eyes of the world," he said in a statement.

"I ask that the MACC conduct a thorough investigation into both these companies on how they managed to procure these government contracts.”

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and the then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the OSCs in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the Home Ministry.

For another seven counts, Ahmad Zahid was charged as home minister to have obtained for himself S$1.15 million, RM3 million, €15,000 and US$15,000 in cash from the same company in connection with his official work.

During his trial it was also heard that former home minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Kepala Batas MP Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin had also allegedly received financial contributions from UKSB.

Muhyiddin yesterday denied being the recipient of a RM1.3 million financial contributions given by UKSB in 2018, saying he was undergoing surgery for his cancer at a hospital overseas and had taken a leave of absence from official duties as home minister.

Meanwhile, Bestinet is accused of monopolising the labour market from Bangladesh by limiting the number of recruitment agencies to 25. Human Resources minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan said Dhaka and Putrajaya jointly agreed to a limit of 25 agencies to recruit Bangladeshi workers for Malaysia.

He said it was the prerogative of the source country to decide on how many agencies should be approved to recruit workers for foreign countries, and Malaysia already had its quota increased from 10 previously to 25 now — a claim that was refuted by Dhaka in a Business Post report yesterday.