Abstract

Entrepreneurship is one of the key drivers of economic growth, innovation, and social well-being in Malaysia. In line with this role, the Malaysia Plans, as the nation’s evelopment planning documents, have introduced various strategies including entrepreneurship education, access to financing, digitalisation through startups, financial technology (fintech), and the green economy agenda. This study aims to identify the structural gaps and implementation challenges of entrepreneurship policies in Malaysia and to propose suitable strategic approaches to strengthen policy directions in preparation for the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (13MP). The study adopts a qualitative approach through content analysis of 20 key policy documents encompassing the Fifth to the Twelfth Malaysia Plans, within the framework of the National Entrepreneurship Policy 2030 (NEP2030). The findings indicate a shift in policy focus from basic economic development towards the creation of a more open, innovative and inclusive ntrepreneurial ecosystem. However, policy implementation continues to face issues such as poor inter-agency coordination, overlapping institutional functions, and an overly theoretical approach to entrepreneurship education. These factors are identified as key constraints to the effectiveness of existing policies. The study recommends expanding experiential entrepreneurship education, strengthening support ecosystems, and formulating policies that are more agile, integrated and ecosystem-oriented. The findings emphasise the need to realign entrepreneurship policies with the aspirations of sustainable development, including quality education, digital innovation, equitable employment opportunities and the reduction of regional disparities. Overall, this study contributes academically by enriching the literature on entrepreneurship policy in developing countries, and practically by providing policy guidance for improving the implementation of NEP2030 and planning for the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan.