Press Release
The People Will Continue to Face Oppression Through Fuel Prices in the Absence of a Caliphate

Following the war in the Middle East, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the surge in global oil prices, the Malaysian government has seized the opportunity to increase fuel prices in its continuous framework of bleeding the people dry. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, announced that the retail price of diesel in the Peninsula has been raised by 80 cents to RM5.52 per litre, while in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, it remains at RM2.15 per litre. The retail price of RON97 petrol was raised by 60 cents to RM5.15 per litre for the period of March 26 to April 1, while the price of unsubsidised RON95 petrol was also increased by 60 cents to RM3.87 per litre. Meanwhile, the retail price of subsidised RON95 petrol under the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) program remains at RM1.99 per litre.

We do not wish to comment on the justification of war provided by the government, because previously, even in the absence of war, the government still arbitrarily raised fuel prices. Excuses will inevitably be furnished by the government every time it wants to suck the blood of the people. We merely wish to state that what adds fuel to the fire of the public's outrage is the fact that Malaysia is currently led by a Prime Minister who, during his time in the opposition, never ceased clamouring against and hurling abuse at the government, every time fuel prices were increased. He then scattered empty promises that, should he be appointed the Prime Minister, fuel prices would drop, while simultaneously condemning the Prime Ministers of that era as useless leaders inept at managing the nation's economy.

We further wish to assert that Malaysia, much like the majority of other Muslim countries, has long been ruled and governed by the Capitalist system – an economic framework originating from the West, which inherently contradicts Islam, and is driven entirely by profit without any regard for what is Halal (permissible) and what is Haram (forbidden). Under Capitalism, the state is ruled and administered by the whims and desires of rulers who devour the nation's wealth to line their own pockets. The Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, and the Capitalists both behind and in front of them bask in overflowing wealth, while the people continue to suffer as they are bled dry, day in day out. Such is the reality of the Capitalist economy: a system that perpetually enriches the ruling elite while impoverishing the common masses.

We also wish to emphasize that in Islam, oil, much like all other natural resources, is the rightful property of the people. It falls under the category of al-Milkiyah al-Ammah (public ownership), which cannot be owned by the state, cannot be traded by the state to its citizens, cannot have even a single cent of its profits extracted by the state, and cannot be granted as a concession to any individual or corporation – let alone foreign corporations. The sole duty of the state regarding al-Milkiyah al-Ammah is to manage and administer it strictly for the welfare of the people, and subsequently distribute every cent of its profits back to every individual citizen.

We further wish to remind the Muslim Ummah that as long as those in power run the country with laws of Capitalism, the Ummah will continue to be oppressed and its blood sucked by them. For such is the nature of this system of disbelief (Kufr), and such is the nature of the rulers who cling tightly to it. This is despite the fact that Allah (swt) has bestowed abundant oil and other natural wealth upon Muslim lands worldwide, which, if managed in accordance with Islamic law, Insha Allah, would ensure that not a single soul would suffer. It is truly beyond imagination to consider the profound outcome should all Muslim lands, endowed with such an abundance of natural wealth, be united under a single sovereign rule (Caliphate) that implements the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw). Insha Allah, the Muslim Ummah would not merely experience a life of immense prosperity but, of far greater significance, they would attain a life lived under the divine pleasure of Allah (swt).

Verily, the choice lies in the hands of the Muslims: whether to continue living in oppression and suffering under the evils of the colonial-inherited Capitalist system, or to rise up and enact change alongside Hizb ut Tahrir by re-establishing the Caliphate (Khilafah) system inherited from the Messenger of Allah (saw), which will manage and utilize all al-Milkiyah al-Ammah for the ultimate benefit of the Muslim Ummah. Moreover, the forthcoming Khilafah state – by the will of Allah – shall emerge as a state that safeguards the Ummah, provides it with encompassing protection, cherishes its people, and guides them toward righteousness and ultimate triumph, both in this world and the Hereafter.

Abdul Hakim Othman
Official Spokesperson of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Malaysia