Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof urges youth to embrace value-based leadership, serve communities early and shape the future at iFUTURE 2026
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has urged young people to take on leadership roles by serving their communities as early as possible rather than waiting for titles or official positions.
He said leadership was not determined by age but by the courage to step up and take responsibility.
“The future does not belong to those who wait for a title; it belongs to those who serve before they are called,” he said in his Special Address at the International Young Future Leaders Summit (iFUTURE) 2026 here today.
Present were Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) secretary-general Datuk Amiruddin Hashim and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) vice-chancellor Prof Yatimah Alias.
He said the young leaders needed three core foundations – values, vision and responsibility – as the world navigates rapid technological advances and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
“Technology can expand your capabilities; but only values can direct them,” he said, adding that this principle is aligned with the essence of Malaysia MADANI’s emphasis on human dignity and public trust.
Fadillah said vision was essential to navigating change, stressing that leadership was not merely about imagining the future but actively shaping it.
However, he said values and vision must translate into meaningful action and responsibility.
“You may solve a problem that has been ignored for too long. Each of these may seem small, but for the person on the receiving end, it can change everything,” he said.
Fadillah also encouraged young leaders to develop resilience, build trustworthy teams and remain open to feedback and collaboration.
“Listening is not weakness; asking for help is not weakness. That is strength, and that is value-based leadership,” he added.
Themed “Redefining Future Leaders Through Value-Based Leadership”, the three-day summit from Oct 11 to Oct 13 aims to build an international student leadership network through intellectual discourse and strategic dialogue with top national leaders, gathering over 1,000 student leaders representing higher education institutions across 60 countries.