PARLIAMENT A company linked to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's brother appears to have lost its bid to implement and run the centralised Bangladeshi workers management system.

In a written parliamentary reply, Zahid, who is also the home minister, said the ministry had now identified Synerflux for further discussions on implementing the system.

"The ministry has chosen Synerflux after evaluating its proposal and early discussions with the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department based on the proposed online intake of Bangladeshi workers concept," he said.

This was in response to a query from Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena) [photo] yesterday.

A letter from Wisma Putra to the Bangladeshi High Comission in Kuala Lumpur last month sighted by Malaysiakini said that Synerflux was the sole entity appointed to manage the system.

"Synerflux, a Malaysian-registered corporation is the sole and exclusive entity appointed by the government of Malaysia to develop, maintain and manage the system," the letter dated Sept 21 said.

Nepotism charge denied

Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed could not give an answer when asked to verify if Synerflux had won the contract or if Zahid's brother Abdul Hakim firm had lost it

"I will get back to you on that," he told reporters at the Parliament today.

Previously, Abdul Hakim's company Real Time Networking Sdn Bhd was reported to have bid for the workers management system geared towards the 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers Malaysia plans to take in through a business-to-business (B2B) arrangement.

Abdul Hakim, however, denied it was a government contract or that nepotism was involved.