YAB Dato' Sri Haji Fadillah Yusof

Malaysia's first Deputy Prime Minister from East Malaysia is transforming the nation's energy landscape from the inside out. YAB Dato' Sri Haji Fadillah bin Yusof has brought Sarawak representation to the apex of federal power while stewarding the country toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation since 2023, he has positioned hydrogen as the cornerstone of Malaysia's environmental future, leveraging Sarawak's abundant hydroelectric resources to establish the country as a regional leader in clean energy.

Fadillah’s Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap, launched in 2023, has attracted investment commitments from Japan and South Korea, while his National Energy Transition Roadmap targets 40 percent renewable energy capacity by 2035 and complete coal phase-out by 2044.​

Born as the ninth of 14 siblings in Kampung Hilir, Sibu, Fadillah's path to national leadership was forged in hardship. His father was imprisoned twice for participating in Sarawak's anti-cession movement opposing British colonial administration—sacrifices that left his mother working as a domestic helper and seamstress to support the family. That childhood shaped a politician who has represented the constituency of Petra Jaya for two decades, culminating in his 2022 landslide victory.​

His ministerial career has consistently focused on infrastructure that connects communities, championing the Pan Borneo Highway which reached 82 percent completion under his oversight as Minister of Works. His 2022 appointment as Deputy Prime Minister alongside Ahmad Zahid Hamidi symbolised federal commitment to elevating East Malaysian voices in national decision-making.

Under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, he secured over US$12 billion in combined commitments from the Asian Development Bank and World Bank for regional energy transition infrastructure.