Press Release
One Year of Pakatan Harapan: Where is Islam?

May 9, 2019 marks the one-year period of rule by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, a rule which carries high hopes for Malaysians, especially those who voted for them to bring about change to the Malaysian political landscape. After a year of rule, even with numerous problems, coupled with the chronic mess left by the previous government, PH is apparently proud of their achievements. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad admits that PH has successfully fulfilled 39.01% of the promises made to the people before the 14th general election. On the opposition’s side, led by the previous ruling party United Malay National Organization (UMNO), efforts to tarnish the PH government with various issues for the past one year have been carried out aggressively, particularly those related to racial and religious issues - as if their (UMNO) ruling over the past 61 years was superior! They forget that they have been rejected by the people in a scale that has never been witnessed before, due to their ruling that was full of tyranny, arrogance, bribery, corruption and other damage that have been exposed to the whole world.

Although PH and its supporters often argue that it is unfair for the people to compare their one-year ruling with the six decades of UMNO’s, this fact absolutely cannot be justified to deny the rights of people to account them. We, Hizb ut Tahrir, do not wish to compare which of the government is better, but we wish to observe and account the extent of the implementation of Islam in PH’s one-year stint. There is no righteousness before Allah (swt), a government that does not apply His laws, be it one year or two, let alone 61 years. Even though PH is proud of the democracy and freedom practiced under their ruling compared to the previous government, we wish to emphasize that there is no good in it since democracy itself is a Kufr system which originates from the West and contradicts Islam from its roots to its shoots. Are we proud of the granted freedom when the liberalists and LGBT groups as well as those who insult Islam are left free to speak and act as they wish? Are we proud of reducing the billion-ringgit debts in various mega projects where in fact, the debts are still full of usury? Are we proud of reviving the country’s financial problem when the economic system is still dominated by capitalism that contradicts Islam in all its facets? Are we proud of having a Defense Minister who hails from an Islamic movement, but our armies are kept in their barracks and not mobilized for jihad in the cause of Allah (swt) to liberate our occupied lands and save our brothers who are oppressed by the enemies of Islam? Are we proud of a rule that does not implement Islam to its fullest?

A year has passed, yet the country remains secular-democratic, a system which separates Islam from the ruling. The current government should always bear in mind the main reason why the people rejected the old regime was because people wanted change. In this regard, Hizb ut Tahrir wishes to remind the government and the people, especially those who are Muslims, that the only change obliged (by Islam) on us is the change from a secular to an Islamic ruling system. Unfortunately, the change that took place from the ‘old Malaysia’ to the ‘new Malaysia’ is just a change of faces of those in power, but the system (secularism) remains the same. The system and the constitution left by the Kuffar-colonialists remain intact and upheld by the new government. Divine laws are not implemented, exactly like the old regime that has never implemented them, except in personal and matrimonial matters. In other words, there is absolutely no change whatsoever in the implementation of the Divine laws despite the slogan propagated by the Minister in Charge of Religion - "Islam rahmatan lil alamin". We, Hizb ut Tahrir want to say it plainly that it is merely a slogan and will continue to be a slogan, when in fact, Islam is not applied. How can there be mercy if Islam is not implemented!?

O Muslims! Remember that there will be no goodness in this country if Islam is not implemented. Blessings and mercy from Allah (swt) will never reach a country that sidelines His laws. Instead, it is the torment of Allah (swt) that will befall a land filled with disobediences such as fornication (zina) and usury (riba) as had been said by Rasulullah (saw),

«إِذَا ظَهَرَ الزِّنَا وَ الرِّبَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ فَقَدْ أَحَلُّوْا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَذَابَ اللهِ» “When fornication and usury is widespread in a country, they have legalized the torment of Allah upon them” (Narrated by Al-Hakim). What greater disobedience to Allah (swt) is, than to sideline the implementation of His laws? For the past 61 years under the old regime, we lived under the secular-democratic system inherited from the Kuffar-colonialists, and this year marks the completion of 62 years of this Western-Kufr system shackling us. Take notice O the Ummah of Muhammad (saw), we invite you to come and join Hizb ut Tahrir to rebuild the Righteous Caliphate State (Khilafah Rashidah) upon the method of the Prophethood, by which, the real change that we have always hoped for can be realized by its re-establishment, Insha Allah.

Abdul Hakim Othman
Spokesperson of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Malaysia