Faced with a potential criminal probe on overseas bribery in the US, e-hailing company Uber is conducting an internal investigation into whether any form of quid pro quo occurred in Malaysia.

Bloomberg reported that Uber’s lawyers are currently reviewing a series of financial deals and transactions purportedly tied to the Malaysian government that may have influenced lawmakers here, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The lawyers are looking at a corporate donation of tens of thousands of dollars, announced in Aug 2016, to the Malaysian Global Initiative and Creativity Centre, which is a government-backed entrepreneur hub.

Around the same time, Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) supposedly invested US$30 million in Uber, said people familiar with the deal, as reported by Bloomberg.

About a year later, Parliament passed a bill on ride-hailing laws that were favourable to Uber and others like it...