The debate on whether interns should be paid or not throughout their internship has been going on for years, and nothing conclusive has yet to come out from it.

Recently, many interns voiced out their concerns and struggles, hoping that companies will soon make an effort to give future interns allowance or salary.

This issue has caught the attention of Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who helped escalate the matter to the government recently.

Were you paid for your internship?
According to Bernama, the Cabinet has agreed to re-introduce industrial training (internship) allowance in all government ministries and agencies.

“The obligation to pay this allowance will refer to a circular that will be implemented in all ministries and government agencies,” Syed Saddiq said in a statement.

“Every year, we see thousands of youths going through industrial training for three months or more but some of them were not paid even a single cent. The government must walk the talk,” the Muar MP said in a video uploaded to his Twitter account.

The payment scheme for interns will be made based on several criteria and will be set and implemented for the convenience of students.

“This is the start of a policy for paid internship, and I hope it will be set as a standard in Malaysia, cutting across public and private sectors,” he added.

Good job, Syed Saddiq! It’s nice to see that he’s really walking the talk and making things happen for Malaysia’s youth.