Companies must hire 3 interns for every expat, says HR Ministry

PETALING JAYA: Companies employing expatriates will soon be required to hire at least three interns under the latest policy by the Human Resources Ministry.

The ministry said the policy’s pilot phase would start on Feb 15 until Dec 31 this year, while full implementation would take place in January 2026.

“The ministry, through Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), will implement the 1:3 Practical Training Policy (Dasar Latihan Amali 1:3) that is expected to benefit 100,000 local students.

“This new policy requires companies employing expatriates in the country to provide internship placements for students from tertiary institutions nationwide,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 15).

Through this policy, the ministry said participating companies would enjoy tax relief incentives under the National Structured Industrial Training Programme (MySIP) while supporting and training local talent to face the challenges of a competitive job market.