Press Release
Two Calamities Plague the Muslim Ummah - Corrupt Rulers and a Corrupt System - Both Must Be Replaced Simultaneously

On 26 July 2025, the city of Kuala Lumpur witnessed an extraordinary public protest — a mass demonstration demanding the resignation of Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This rally reflected the deep anger and frustration of the people towards a leadership that has not only failed to deliver its promises of reform, but has also worsened the people’s hardship through tax hikes, increased electricity tariffs, and rising prices of essential goods.

The public’s outrage is further inflamed by what is widely perceived as Anwar’s hypocrisy. His pledge to eradicate corruption stands in stark contrast to his continued protection and elevation of corrupt individuals. Moreover, his frequent and costly overseas visits, often justified by the promise of billions in foreign investment, have proven to be little more than empty rhetoric.

While the opposition has successfully capitalized on this public sentiment by organizing the protest, they have failed to present a viable alternative ruler. In reality, no clear successor has been put forward should Anwar really resign. The focus remains narrow — only on removing the Prime Minister, not on establishing a credible path forward. Tragically, the public continues to be mobilized based on emotion rather than sound political thought and meaningful solutions. It is this shallow narrative — that the problem lies solely with one man, Anwar Ibrahim — that misguides the people. They failed to understand that the real issue is not merely the ruler, but the whole system implemented in the country ever since.

Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has been led by ten Prime Ministers and various political parties — Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, and now the “Madani” government. Although a small portion of the population is able to live comfortably, the majority continue to struggle with economic challenges, and social issues are becoming increasingly alarming. The education sector, likewise, remains fraught with ongoing problems. Crime rates show no sign of declining and have become significantly frightening, including what is happening within the police force itself. The political landscape is persistently tainted by scandals, corruption, breach of trust, power struggles, and various other forms of misconduct — of which the people are invariably the victims.

In short, although rulers have changed over time, the people have never truly experienced genuine pleasure and comfort. In every era of governance, the people have continuously “rebelled” against the government's injustices and demanded their rights. Since the era of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (the first), Prime Ministers have been pressured to step down — both from within their own parties and from external forces. Yet, each time a new Prime Minister is appointed, the changes hoped for by the people have never materialized. What remains unchanged is the democratic system itself — a system imposed by colonial powers as a condition for the country's independence.

How can a system crafted by the disbelievers in contradiction with the teachings of Islam ever provide genuine solutions for the Muslim Ummah? It is imperative that Muslims understand this fundamental truth: replacing a Prime Minister without replacing the system will never solve the root problems plaguing this Ummah.

This is not unique to Malaysia alone. Across the Muslim world, we see the same pattern: Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya all experienced uprisings during the Arab Spring that removed their rulers — yet their ruling systems remained intact and the suffering of their people continued. Similarly in Sudan, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and many other Muslim countries, the change of rulers have occurred repeatedly, but the inherited secular systems from colonialists remain untouched. As a result, the state of the Ummah has remained largely unchanged.

The Ummah must awaken to this reality; it must not allow itself to be bitten from the same hole twice. In Malaysia, sadly, the Ummah has been bitten not once or twice, but many times over. Time and again, it has been proven that those in power under the democratic system not only fail to implement Islam — the very solution to our crises — but are unwilling to do so. It has also been proven that the colonial legacy of democracy is not only inconsistent with Islam, it was designed explicitly to separate religion (Islam) from life. In other words, it was designed to prevent the implementation of Islam itself. This is the twin calamity afflicting the Muslim Ummah today: corrupt rulers and a corrupt system — both proven beyond doubt.

Indeed, corrupt systems produce corrupt rulers, and corrupt rulers preserve the corrupt systems. Just as communism breeds communist rulers who uphold communism, and capitalism breeds capitalist rulers who uphold capitalism, so too does democracy perpetuate its own flawed cycle. The ruler and the system are two sides of the same coin — inseparable and mutually reinforcing.

Thus, the only way out for the Ummah from these calamities is to replace both the rulers and the system simultaneously. In Islam, the rightful ruler is that of a Khalifah (Caliph), and the rightful system and state is the Khilafah (Caliphate). This is what Hizb ut Tahrir is tirelessly working to realize across the world, and this is our call to the entire Ummah — to work with us hand in hand to re-establish it.

Abdul Hakim Othman
Official Spokesperson of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Malaysia