The 23-year-old German steered his Red Bull car from pole position to the chequered flag to win ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, and Nick Heidfeld who finished third for Renault.
"In the heat, we kept our heads cool," the jubilant Vettel told the Red Bull crew on his victory lap.
Vettel's second start-to-finish win in two outings this year came despite further problems with Red Bull's faulty Kinetic Energy Regeneration System (KERS) which gave his team-mate Mark Webber a nightmare start.
The Australian dropped from third to 10th before storming back to finish fourth ahead of the Ferraris of Brazilian Felipe Massa and two-time champion Fernando Alonso.
Alonso suffered damage to his car in a late charge for the podium when he collided with the rear of Briton Lewis Hamiltons McLaren, suffering a broken front wing that required a pit stop.
Hamilton, the 2008 champion, looked set for a podium spot but finished seventh after a slow pit stop and a struggle with worn tyres in the closing stages. Related article: Downcast Hamilton puts on brave face
The two drivers were both later handed 20-second penalties for the collision, with Hamilton pushed down into eighth behind Japanese Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber while the punishment did not affect the Spaniard's sixth place.
Vettel has now won the season's first two races in Australia and Malaysia and five of the last six to take charge of the 19-stop championship and establish himself as the outstanding driver of the moment.
The German came home 3.2 seconds ahead of Button and 25 seconds clear of Heidfeld, who is deputising for the injured Robert Kubica after a rallying crash and claimed his first podium in two years.
Heidfeld enjoyed a dazzling start when he shot from sixth in the grid into provisional second place behind Vettel.
Kobayashi was seventh ahead of Hamilton in the final standings with seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in ninth for Mercedes. Tenth-placed British rookie Paul Di Resta who scored another point for Force India in only his second start.
On a typically steamy day in Malaysia, the track temperature was 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) at the start in 83 percent humidity.
Vettel moves to 50 points in the drivers' championship with Button second on 26, Hamilton on 24 and Webber on 22.
In the constructors' standings, Red Bull lead with 72 points ahead of McLaren on 48, ahead of the next race in a week's time in China.
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| Lewis Hamilton |
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| Nick Hiedfeld |
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| Fernando Alonso |
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| Sebastian Vettel |
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