No participating protege firm blacklisted, says ministry

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development has clarified that no company involved in the Professional Training and Education for Growing Entrepreneurs (Protege) programme has been blacklisted for exploiting course participants.

Deputy Minister Datuk Mohd Hatta Md Ramli said the 135 companies selected for the programme had to adhere to the regulations, including conducting the entrepreneurship modules and syllabus set by the ministry.

“We also have a special regulatory system to ensure all companies follow the modules and do not go against the regulations, including not exploiting programme participants,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Senator Ismail Yusop at the Dewan Negara here yesterday.

He said participants have to be gracefully accepting as the course is able to enhance their soft skills and employability.

“Even having to make photocopies or tea, these are all soft skills or social skills they need to learn, and it's not as if they have to do this for six months,” he said.

Mohd Hatta also denied allegations that the programme was a way for the companies involved to cut costs, saying they had to pay allowances to the participants, ranging from between RM1,000 and RM1,500 for a diploma holder to RM2,000 for a graduate.

In reply to Senator Raj Munni Sabu's question on the total number of Protégé participants to date, he said this year the government targets about 15,000 participants from among graduates and diploma holders nationwide, including rural youths.

Launched on Jan 28, the programme aims to train participants for a career in entrepreneurship.