INSKEN Reform Blueprint Targets ASEAN Leadership in Entrepreneur Development
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — The National Entrepreneurship Institute (INSKEN) has announced a sweeping institutional reform agenda aimed at accelerating the development of Madani entrepreneurs capable of competing on the global stage.
Speaking at INSKEN’s monthly assembly, Chairman Datuk Mustaffa Kamil Ayub outlined the Reformasi Pentadbiran & Pengurusan INSKEN 2026 (RAPI 2026), a strategic overhaul designed to modernise the agency’s structure, performance metrics and delivery ecosystem in line with the government’s national administrative reform agenda.
INSKEN has recorded steady expansion in its outreach, increasing its annual entrepreneur development footprint from 10,000 participants to 13,000 in 2024, with a projected 26,000 entrepreneurs targeted by 2026. Over the past two decades, the institute has supported more than 160,000 entrepreneurs nationwide.
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Datuk Mustaffa emphasised that building 21st-century Madani entrepreneurs requires deep structural change, including mindset transformation, financial discipline, ecosystem literacy, improved access to capital and continuous knowledge upgrading. He highlighted the need for stronger mentorship links with the corporate sector, industry “deep dives” into critical future sectors, and aggressive international market penetration under the “Go ASEAN, Go Global” strategy.
Five Strategic Pillars
The reform blueprint introduces five core pillars:
1. Excellence in training modules
2. Transformation of M40 and B40 entrepreneurs
3. Digitalisation and AI adoption
4. Revenue generation and financial sustainability
5. National coordination via PRIME and Centres of Excellence (COE)
INSKEN plans to implement real-time performance dashboards, national data integration with agencies such as MyDigital and SME Corp, AI-based participant matching systems, and a chatbot platform known as “NadiUsahawan” to improve advisory access.
At the district level, dedicated INSKEN advisory desks will serve as one-stop entrepreneurship hubs, while PRIME district offices will function as mini development centres with strict KPIs, including upgrading at least 100 entrepreneurs annually.
Social and International Expansion
Special programmes will target vulnerable communities, including single mothers, persons with disabilities, at-risk youth and veterans through high-impact social entrepreneurship frameworks.
On the international front, INSKEN is planning multilateral collaborations such as the ASEAN SME Leadership programme, regional entrepreneurship festivals, and joint certification initiatives with local and overseas universities.
Datuk Mustaffa stressed that the Madani entrepreneur model must be rooted in sustainability, well-being, innovation, respect, compassion and integrity.
“Entrepreneurship is not merely about profit. It must bring benefit to society and the environment,” he said, adding that ethical business conduct and social contribution must define Malaysia’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
The reform initiative positions INSKEN as a central institutional engine in Malaysia’s long-term economic transformation, aligning entrepreneurship with national resilience, social responsibility and global competitiveness.
-Wilayah.com.my
