Industrial training allowance not mandatory, says Youth and Sports Ministry

KUALA LUMPUR - Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh's statement regarding the industrial training or internship allowance is only aimed at encouraging the private sector to emulate the measures taken by the government.

The ministry’s Corporate Communications Unit in a statement on Saturday, informed there were no plans to mandate the allowance at the time as several companies are still recovering post-Covid-19.

The statement said Hannah would bring the matter to the Cabinet level for a discussion.

"The clarification was issued to comment on the response released by the Malaysian Employers’ Federation, which stated the mandatory allowance for industrial training students will prevent private sector employers from offering training placements," it said.

It said the government strongly encourages private companies to follow the example of the public sector and pay for allowances for students undergoing industrial training.

"She also stated that the consideration of enforcing the grant of industrial training allowance by the private sector should be examined from various aspects," the statement said.