News:

Within the last few days, the Malaysian police are looking for at least three individuals who are believed to be involved in what is known as the 'Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia' (SKMM) movement. The movement is said to instigate the idea of separating the states of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia. Home Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the police have managed to collect personal information about the individuals and said that investigation papers would be opened and handed over to the Attorney General's Office for further action. Zahid further added that "Today I disclose a statement of support of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Abu Sayyaf to ISIS", hinting that the movement possibly aspires to unite Sabah and Sarawak with a ‘sultanate' which is still non-existent.

Comment:

Separatist movements are not uncommon in the Malay Archipelago which consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Brunei.  Although the peoples of this region share similar cultures, the spirit of belonging to a certain region and sharing a certain language is strongly embedded them - in Indonesia alone more than 700 languages are spoken! Separatist movements associated with these differences exist in Aceh, Papua, Maluku, Southern Thailand and Southern Philippines. East Timor had already been separated from Indonesia.  In Malaysia however, this is rather new. Nevertheless, although reasons for instigating secession in these areas differ, they share a common feature - the desire to separate themselves from the ruling government. It is worth noting that separatist movements in Southern Thailand and Southern Philippines are driven by Muslims against non-Muslim/non-Islamic governments. However in the case of Indonesia and Malaysia, separatist movements desire to cut themselves from the Muslim land and rule independently. The former requires a different discussion. However, the latter, involving cases of secession from Muslim lands such as Indonesia and Malaysia deserve several comments.

• From the eyes of an ideological Muslim, separation from a Muslim land will not solve the perceived problems. Besides a widening gap within the Muslim community due to this separation, the affairs of the separated state will be increasingly vulnerable to foreign intervention, as had been observed in East Timor. Even before separation (if successful) it is quite clear that Western elements are already at play in instigating the secession. It is also worth noting that these areas where separatist movements are strong, are almost always areas with rich natural resources. The Prophet (saw) said,
• { من أتاكم وأمركم جميع على رجل واحد يريد أن يشق عصاكم، أو يفرق جماعتكم فاقتلوه }
• "Whoever comes to you and your affairs are under a single person (a Khalifah), to break your unity and scatter your congregation then kill him" [Muslim]. The Prophet (saw) also said,
  
• {من كره من أميره شيئاً فليصبر ، فإنه من خرج من السلطان شبراً مات ميتة جاهلية.‏}
• "If someone saw something that he hates in his Amir, then he must be patient, for he who separates himself from the Jamaat (Muslims led by an Amir / Caliph) even by a hand span, shall die in the state of Jahiliyyah" [Bukhari]. The basic ruling for separation from Islamic rule and breaking up Muslim territories is haram. Although we are not living under the Khilafah "Caliphate" today, the ruling should echo in the minds of those who desire to break Muslim lands further by creating separatist movements in Muslim lands, what more today, when we are already broken up without this single Islamic political entity.
• The role of media as the ‘machinery of public instruction' has been very effective in making a phenomenon which ‘seems' to be associated to Islam to be perceived negatively by associating this phenomenon to issues related to terrorism and ISIS. Thus, the instigated separation of Sabah and Sarawak, even though this might have nothing to do with Islam, is made to be connected to Islam in a derogatory manner.

Since the destruction the Khilafah "Caliphate", Muslims have been living in a state of disarray where our lands are chopped into nationalistic territories with colonialist borders. Rather than instigate further break up of the Muslim lands, we should work towards reuniting these lands and establishing the true Khilafah "Caliphate" in the way of Prophethood.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Dr. Muhammad - Malaysia