Twitter User Highlights Exploitation of Interns and Advocates for Fair Treatment

Rashifa (@youngaljunied), a Twitter user who opposes any sort of intern exploitation, expresses her anger with low-paying and unpaid internships.

Although the government has established a policy establishing a minimum pay of 1500 Malaysian Ringgit, she notes in her piece that this legislation does not apply to interns.

“Interns are not protected by labor laws, and they are at risk of being exploited by companies.”

She says she will begin her internship the following semester and that she plans to hold a campus protest and carry a placard that reads, “Interns are not free labor” in order to raise awareness about how interns are treated.

Rashifa explains that she is a University of Malaya senior and wonders why she must pay tuition while she is completing an internship.

“Don’t get me started on why UM requires students to pay tuition fees during internships. We’re not attending classes, so why pay the same fees as regular semesters?”

She also expresses concern about the expense of living, particularly in Kuala Lumpur where interns are not paid a minimum wage. How do they pay for their transportation, food, and rent?

“This is why I believe interns should be fairly compensated. Companies should treat interns as employees instead of exploiting them.”

Rashifa emphasizes that the government must offer legal protection for interns in addition to financial considerations in an interview with the English media source “New Straits Times.”

She disputes the idea that “interns can learn for free” since many employers treat interns similarly to permanent employees and give them the same responsibilities.

“I disagree; you hear a lot about how companies exploit interns, making them do the same work as regular employees but with significantly lower wages. Demanding a minimum wage is not unreasonable; it is essential.”

With over 2.5 million views in a short time, the piece instantly attracted substantial attention and resonance. Many voiced sympathy for Rashifa’s conduct and offered their own tales of unlucky internships.

Another Twitter user by the handle @starnom tells the story of a business that, in order to avoid paying the minimum wage, employed plenty of interns, made them work weekends, and only gave them allowances of 200 Malaysian Ringgit apiece.

Rashifa encountered an Italian professor by chance while performing on campus, and the two of them snapped a snapshot.

The Ministry of Human Resources is looking into instances where interns were not paid, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar, who stated on May 30 that he was still awaiting findings on the matter.

Rashifa writes in a different post that an Italian professor told her that there are incidents of intern exploitation in Italy as well.

“Received many positive responses on campus today! The reality differs greatly from the comments received. I will persist until the end of this semester.”