KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 25,000 trainees are set to benefit from the Internship Placement Matching Grant for Small and Medium Enterprises (LiKES), a government initiative aimed at empowering industrial training and enhancing youth employability.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said the LiKES approval process has been shortened to 14 working days from 90 previously, with an advance payment of RM2,000 introduced for each eligible company.
He said the programme is being implemented through Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) on a pay-and-claim basis, with an allocation of RM30 million over three years, starting in 2024.
“The RM2,000 payment will be disbursed from March 1, and companies can expect to receive it within 14 working days, subject to the conditions set by TalentCorp.
“Small and medium enterprises and startups should make the most of this opportunity. It’s a very good opportunity for interns to train themselves, enhance their skills, and better prepare (for the workforce),” he told a press conference after visiting TalentCorp headquarters today, reported Bernama.
Also present were Deputy Minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, TalentCorp Board chairman Wong Shu Qi, and TalentCorp Group chief executive officer Edward Ling.
Meanwhile, Ramanan said the implementation of the GIG Workers Act, which was gazetted on Dec 31, is expected to be finalised soon.
He said that although the ministry has prepared the draft of the act, its implementation is still under discussion, including an additional allocation of RM100 million announced yesterday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim through the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK).
On the RM50 million allocation for upgrading Tamil national-type schools (SJKT), also announced by Anwar yesterday, Ramanan said open tenders would be rolled out in phases for each school once the initial process is completed.
“There were six schools announced previously, five of which are under the Yayasan Didik Negara (YDN) list. To start the renovation work, you have to wait for the bill of quantities before the open tender process can start,” he said in his capacity as the minister responsible for Indian community affairs.– January 6, 2026