News:
On 18 June 2014, Reuters Online and many other media have reported an overloaded boat carrying suspected illegal Indonesian immigrants sank as it left Malaysia’s west coast early on Wednesday, and at least three passengers drowned and 34 were missing. The boat, whose passengers included women and children, sank at the mouth of a river shortly after midnight as it left Malaysia’s Carey Island, likely bound for Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, officials and witnesses. Mohammed Hambali Yaakup, head of operations in the area for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said, “It is likely that survivors could have swum ashore and went into hiding since they have no legal documents here”.
Comment:
Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s wealthier economies, has long been a magnet for illegal immigrants from Indonesia and other poorer countries in the region. Many undocumented Indonesians work in Malaysia’s extensive oil palm plantations, a mainstay of its economy. Indonesia’s insistence forces them to migrate from Indonesia in order to make a living to support their family. Most of them had to leave their families to survive even if it meant taking a very high risk. They had to choose the least expensive boat facilities and are willing to risk their lives to migrate to Malaysia because they have no money to gain the proper documents.
This is the expensive price of modern capitalism life-style that has to be paid by the community. The economic progress standard proclaimed by capitalism has actually brought misery to mankind. Capitalism has succeeded in developing human civilization predators, this is due to the formation of wide global economic disparities that lead to a very large labour migration from poor countries to find a job even though they are offered low wages and a bad working environment. This situation is also experienced by women who have no choice but to help their families due to the burden of living.
This is very distinct from the system promised by Islam and it has been proven for over 1300 years. Islam is an ideology which highly protects all Muslims from all forms of oppression including matters regarding employment. The Islamic principles provides protection for slaves. This is evident from the Islamic prohibition against slavery on those who are liberated where the ban is for sure certain, as shown in the following hadith:
«ثَلَاثَةٌ أَنَا خَصْمُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ رَجُلٌ أَعْطَى بِي ثُمَّ غَدَرَ وَرَجُلٌ بَاعَ حُرًّا فَأَكَلَ ثَمَنَهُ وَرَجُلٌ اسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيرًا فَاسْتَوْفَى مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُعْطِ أَجْرَهُ»
“Three people that I will rival on the Day of Judgment is the man who gave (the baiat towards the Khaleefah) because of me, but became treacherous; people who sell (as a boy) people who are independent, then he/she takes the price (yield) of their sale; and an employer, where their workers perform their job, but the employer does not give them wages.” [Narrated by Bukhari]
Thus, the prevention of cruelty and protection of women especially will only be actualized in a system of government based on the Islamic ideology of the Caliphate system (Khilafah). Only in the Khilafah system alone, humanity will live in prosperity and peace.
Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Sumayyah Amar
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir