THE Government today reaffirmed its commitment to a transformative clean energy future at the Clean Energy Transition Asia (CETA) Summit 2025, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, delivering a keynote address emphasising purpose, collaboration, and urgency.
Opening his speech at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Fadillah invoked the Quranic verse from Surah Ar-Ra’d, Ayat 11, highlighting the moral imperative of change: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
He described this as an “invitation for courage, for intention, for collective responsibility,” underlining that energy transformation is both a duty and a trust for future generations.
“Transformation does not wait for perfect conditions. That is why we are here. Not merely to exchange technical ideas, but because we know the energy transition is an amanah — a trust we must honour so our children inherit a world brighter than the one we stand in,” Fadillah said.
He pointed to Asia’s central role in global energy, noting that the region drives over half of global energy demand and will add electricity consumption by 2030 equivalent to Japan and South Korea combined.
ASEAN alone, he stressed, will require between US$200 and US$300 billion annually in clean energy investments.
“As Malaysia concludes its ASEAN Chairmanship, the message remains clear: Our future will not be shaped by hesitation, but by boldness,” he declared, citing Tunku Abdul Rahman: “The future does not belong to those who wait; it belongs to those who act with courage and clarity.”
Fadillah outlined Malaysia’s national ambitions under the MADANI Government and PETRA. By 2050, the country aims to achieve 70% renewable energy capacity, with solar capacity set to grow fivefold and over 1GW of grid-scale energy storage already in development.
Malaysia’s energy strategy extends beyond its borders, positioning the nation as a regional anchor in the ASEAN Power Grid, facilitating cross-border electricity flows to lower costs, enhance stability, and boost competitiveness.
“Development is not about adding wealth to numbers, but expanding opportunities for people,” he quoted Tun Abdul Razak, underscoring the social and economic imperatives of energy transition.
He highlighted landmark projects including Malaysia’s first 50MW renewable energy export to Singapore through Energy Exchange Malaysia (ENEGEM), the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS), and the preparation of up to 2GW of new renewable capacity annually, aimed at creating jobs, building supply chains, and developing green industrial clusters.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed Malaysia’s pivotal role in the ASEAN Power Grid, noting five existing interconnections and plans for further development as the region aims for full integration by 2045.
“A connected region is a competitive region,” he said, echoing Tun Hussein Onn: “In unity, strength. In cooperation, progress. This is how nations rise.”
Highlighting the country’s policy clarity, regulatory stability, competitive tariffs, and large-scale clean energy access, Fadillah invited investors, developers, and innovators to engage with Malaysia.
He also launched the R.A.C.E to ZERO 2026 initiative, a nationwide programme across five states to build capabilities, connect businesses, and accelerate clean energy projects, supporting Malaysia’s commitment to net-zero by 2050 and a 45% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030.
“A great nation is built not by one hand, but by millions of hands working together,” he quoted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, stressing that Asia’s clean energy transition will define the region’s competitiveness for the next half-century.
Drawing on Islamic teachings, he reminded attendees that effort, courage, and unity are essential: “Imam al-Ghazali teaches that our duty is to strive; the outcomes are with Allah. Imam Shafie reminds us that whoever seeks glory without effort has spent his life seeking the impossible.”
“We must choose effort. We must choose courage. We must choose unity. For Malaysia. For Asia. For the generations who will one day ask what we did when the world was changing. Let us be able to say: We chose to rise,” he added. - December 11, 2025
