Lewis Hamilton will attempt to return to the top of the drivers' championship at the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend after he took pole in qualifying.
The three-time world champion clocked 1:33.046 - the fastest lap at Sepang since 2005 - while his Mercedes teammate came from fifth position with two minutes to go to join the Brit on the front row.
Rosberg currently tops the driver rankings by eight points following his victory at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo will start in the second row after qualifying the third and fourth fastest respectively.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will represent Ferrari in the row behind, while McLaren's Jenson Button nabbed ninth position on the grid.
Top 10 on the grid:
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
5. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
6. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
7. Sergio Perez (Force India)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India)
9. Jenson Button (McLaren)
10. Felipe Massa (Williams)