News:

Muslim countries in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and Malaysia will face the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on December 31, 2015 - as a form of regional economic integration in the region. Through this regional integration, ASEAN will be transformed into a single market and production base then become a free flow of goods, services, investment, labor, and capital. The leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia are enthusiastic in preparing themselves to welcome the implementation of AEC and continue to tether their hopes on this agreement. ASEAN's commitment to be a free market enhanced through the concept of an ASEAN Community with its slogan: one vision, one identity, one community. Thus the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) became one of the pillars in the formation of the ASEAN community beside the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and the ASEAN Socio-Culture Community (ASCC).

Comment:

It is foolish and misleading if Muslim leaders in Indonesia and Malaysia set their economic expectations on ASEAN Economic Community, moreover if they were ratified and then implement it in their lands. This behavior asserts the dysfunction of their role as leaders and statesmen, who prefer to facilitate international trade and foreign investment rather than directly fulfill economic needs and the welfare of their people. Instead of prospering their people, the freedom of investments and foreign dominance in the domestic market; clearly become the most effective instrument of imperialism, and endanger people economies. It has long been proven that free trade is an instrument of imperialism of Western countries against Muslim countries; such as this quote - US statesman Henry Clay pointed to the necessity of the United States developing a defensive capability by quoting a British leader, ‘Nations knew, as well as [ourselves], what we meant by "free trade" was nothing more nor less than, by means of the great advantage we enjoyed, to get a monopoly of all their markets for our manufactures, and to prevent them, one and all, from ever becoming manufacturing nations.' This means the potential market and economic investment in Southeast Asia will only be exploited by the economic giant countries, to become a recovery tool for financial crisis which suffered by US and China today who really need real market for their products.

The next aspect that we should examine is the destructive impacts. Not only poverty and exploitation of the wealth, but this cancerous regime will also have great impact on the destruction of society and Muslims family building. Because of this regime truly an admirer of secularism and a devotee of economic growth that treats Muslim community no more like economic engine as the market and cheap labor. While the matters of religion, morals, dignity, social harmony of each component of society will obviously be ignored. Let's learn from their trail of breakage that carved in their own countries, they having economic progress but suffering detriment civilization; rapid development is often accompanied by a social crisis, the collapse of the family institution, widespread criminality, violence against women and children, and high suicide rates, in addition to falling birth rates which are in large part due to the massive involvement of women in the labor force.

The same syndrome sooner or later will be experienced by the Muslim societies in Southeast Asia, if its leaders continue parroting the West and join implementing free trade agreement that is clearly an imperialist regime as well as the cancer that eats away Muslim community. O Muslim rulers, Remember the words of Allah:

قُلْ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَائِكُم مَّن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ ۚ قُلِ اللَّـهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ ۗ أَفَمَن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لَّا يَهِدِّي إِلَّا أَن يُهْدَىٰ ۖ فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُون

"Say ‘It is Allah who guides to the truth. Is then He Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not guidance (himself) unless he is guided? Then, what is the matter with you? How do you judge?" [TMQ Yunus: 35]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Fika Komara

Member of Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir