KUALA LUMPUR: The government is mulling having social security benefits also cover undergraduate students undergoing internship at companies in Malaysia.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said it was among the issues that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) had previously highlighted.
While interns receive allowances from the companies to which they are attached, most do not receive social protection, he said.
"At the Communications Ministry, we will look at this as well, for interns within our jurisdiction.
"They include (those attached with) media and production companies," he told reporters after a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Bernama and the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
The MoU covers one-year Socso contributions starting from July 1 for 493 registered stringers from 45 media organisations in Malaysia.
Moving forward, Fahmi urged media organisations to also make Socso contributions for their stringers.
This, he said, was to ensure the social security of part-time media professionals, whose contributions to news reporting were equally important to that of permanent staff.
"We will monitor this as we are aware that the employment structure for stringers is quite different, with some based on jobs assigned, depending on the needs.
"In reality, if these part-timers do not get the job done, can the news be produced? So, I believe we have to be fair to the stringers."