Malaysia's Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his keynote address during the 9th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) held on the 29th of October in London, suggested the economic empowerment of women as a key for global economic growth. The Prime Minister stated that women should be empowered in various fields such as education, entrepreneurship, increasing their presence in the workforce and be given a chance to be corporate policy makers. Underscoring this point, he claimed that the economic empowerment of women can open opportunities to increase productivity, improve corporate results and strengthen the economy in Malaysia while the country identifies a new and more sustainable growth model. The Malaysian government has set a target to increase the participation of women in the labor force to 55 percent by 2015. It intends to generate additional income for low-income families by economic activities carried out by women. According to the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, two major programs for the empowerment of women in the labor and entrepreneurship market are the 1Azam initiative and "Get Malaysian Business Online" (GMBO). She stated to BERNAMA reporters, "To ensure the success of their business, women also need to be taught financial skills to help them manage their finances more efficiently. This program should have specific targets. Malaysia will continue to cooperate with the UN and its agencies to promote the noble cause of women's empowerment. In addition, Malaysia welcomes the receipt of the Draft Declaration on Women's Economic Empowerment for Peace-building".

Encouragement from the government such as the 1Azam and GMBO program has attracted several women to enter the field of employment and entrepreneurship. Since its inception in 2010 until 31st December 2012, about 66 percent of the 106, 967 1Azam participants are women who are 70,224 in number. Of the 1750 GMBO participants, 952 representing 54 percent of female participants received a grant of RM 1,000 to boost sales of their business online. According to statistics released by the ministry (KPWKM), working women in the country has increased from 2.6 million in 1995 to 4.6 million in 2012.

It is also in line with the agreement reached at the APEC Conference in 2013 to intensify the involvement of women in the economic development of the country and family. APEC leaders unanimously agreed to implement the agreement of the Women's Economic Forum 2013 which filed a strategic role of women as economic drivers. Along with these requirements, during the budget presentation on the 25th of October, the Malaysian government has allocated more than 30% of the 2014 National Budget for women to encourage them to work. Among the suggestions were to increase the number of child care centers, including day care centers in public offices to give ease to breastfeeding mothers.

However, the application of the Capitalism ideology in the Muslim world and its insatiable desire to push more and more women into the workplace has caused much suffering and problems for women and children in the region, including in Malaysia. This is due to the philosophy and principles of the capitalist ideology that places seeking the material value and securing financial gain and capital as the main aim of life and the dominant aspect of a society. This nurtures a mindset within individuals, employers, and businesses that views making huge profits as their main concern, no matter the human or societal cost. Capitalism with its essential principles of secularism, pragmatism and hedonism, along with its economic ideal of freedom of ownership upon which the free-market system and economic liberalization policies are based has a very significant role in shaping an exploitative society. This is because this materialistic, consumerism dominated ideology has resulted in many individuals and businesses within society using 'price' and 'profit' as the basis of deciding their actions, while at the same time neglecting the humanitarian, moral or spiritual aspects of life in their acts. Hence, under this materialistic system, women are simply viewed as tools to increase revenue for companies and governments and are highly prone to exploitation in the world of business and entrepreneurship, often being paid a low wage for their hard work.

Unfortunately the capitalist philosophy that measures the success and worth of individuals based upon their economic status and wealth has affected the mindset of some women in Malaysia who have sacrificed their primary role as mothers of their children just for the sake of employment in order to raise their social status. While many other women have been forced to work due to the rising cost of living and difficult economic situation in the country that has resulted from capitalist, liberal free-market policies that have been implemented within the country. Ever since Malaysia began embracing various agreements with the U.S. government and other capitalist institutions, Malaysia has been continuously doomed with the problem of rising costs in living standards. The government's justification is that we should keep in pace with Western development and living standards. Consequently, women have become the victims in the struggle to resolve this economic burden placed upon families. This is alongside being governed by a regime that has failed to provide its people with sufficient financial support.

Free-market trade liberalization has brought a huge impact on the population of Malaysia. For example, price control applied by the government to ensure Malaysia's products are able to be exported and compete with foreign products resulted in the rise of market prices which was also accompanied by more and higher taxes. This rising cost of living has meant that many men, despite working long hours and sometimes having more than one job are unable to meet their household needs, hence forcing their women-folk to work in order to cover the cost of other basic necessities for the family. In addition, the high cost of accessing healthcare as well as education fees is due in large part to the privatization of the healthcare and education systems as well as enforcement of an insurance package for both sectors.

Furthermore, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which is a multilateral Free Trade Agreement that seeks to further liberalise economies in the Asia-Pacific region including Malaysia is currently under negotiation. If implemented, it will worsen the economic situation for women in the country. Opponents of the TPP have voiced concerns that it will grant unprecedented powers and enshrine new rights and privileges to major corporations while weakening the ability of states to oppose them. Najib Tun Razak stated that he would bring the issue of this agreement to all Ministers and discuss it in Parliament next year. It should be understood that the TPP is not solely related to free trade or the opening of new markets, but rather it is a new form of colonialism that intends to control natural resources, pursue profits at any cost and penalize Malaysia if it refuses to cooperate. In November 2013, Wikileaks released a draft text of a chapter in the agreement whose content has so far been kept secret from the public. One of its provisions relates to intellectual property and increased terms for patents, including medical patents. Many have expressed concern that this would detrimentally affect access to affordable medicines in the developing world by forcing states to purchase expensive branded versions of drugs and place restrictions on the manufacture and distribution of cheaper generic versions. Some have suggested that this will make the prices of medicines ten times more expensive, adding to the rising health costs in the country.

As a consequence of many women in Malaysia facing social or economic pressures to be in employment, they have transmitted their role of nurturing their children to others in order for them to be able to work. Their children are therefore often deprived of the necessary attention, care and affection from their mother or sent to caregivers who on many occasions do not look after them in the appropriate manner. Recently, the problem has escalated with the shocking rise in cases of child abuse in day care centers, as well as reported cases of infant deaths due to choking on milk and minor accidents.

According to statistics released by the Social Welfare Department (SWD), a total of 6 baby deaths were reported in nurseries during 2012, while in the first 7 months of 2013 alone, 10 cases of infant deaths were reported. On September 24th, there came the shocking news of the death of a baby boy, Mohd Danish Rayqal, a five-month-old who was found dead by his caregivers in a care center at Presint 9, Putrajaya. Two infants also died in the same week in the same care centre. The mothers of those children were naturally devastated by their loss, having placed their children in this day care centre due to their work commitments.

According to Islam, the role and task of household manager and nurturer and educator of the children is defined as the main responsibility of women. Neglecting this role implies the abandonment of the family. Children should receive endless love from their mother when their father goes out to work. For children who are growing up, attention from parents is very important to help develop their physical growth and Islamic mentality. However, when this responsibility is ignored, the children will start looking for love and attention outside of home.

They begin to mix freely with the opposite sex which results in a wide range of social ills and immorality. Finally, they will not feel ashamed to carry out indecent acts including engaging in extramarital relationships.

The delay in marriage within the country due to prioritizing the pursuing of jobs and a career also adds to the growing problem of elicit relationships outside marriage as individuals seek other avenues to fulfill their sexual instinct. The result is increasing numbers of children born out of wedlock in Malaysia as well as rising cases of baby dumping. According to the Director General of the National Registration Department (NRD) Datuk Alwi Ibrahim, a total of 17,303 Muslim Malay children born out of wedlock were registered in 2010. The number increased from 762 cases during the previous year.

In 2008, a total of 16,541 illegitimate babies were registered in NRD while in 2007, the amount was 16,100 in number. From these numbers, it can be concluded that the average births out of wedlock are two babies per hour in the country. With regards to abandoned babies, the statistics of baby dumping released by the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) showed 396 cases recorded from 2005 to 2010. Figures show an increasing trend in the problem. A total of 67 cases were reported in 2005, while 91 cases were reported in 2010. For the year 2011, the situation became worse when in January alone, there were 34 cases of abandoned babies reported in Malaysia's main newspapers. Clearly, neglecting children due to the desire to improve the economic status of the family has had a very bad impact on the lives of women, children, and society overall. Not only this, divorce cases are worsening where according to a report from the National Registration Department (NRD), the average divorce case is four cases per hour. Many have attributed this in part to the limited time that spouses are able to spend with one another to maintain a strong relationship due to both the wife and husband working.

Allah (swt) has decreed that the primary role of women is as wives, mothers, and managers of their household and this fits with the nature of the woman. While the burden of earning a living is a man's job or the husband in a family. Abdullah bin Umar (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said;

كلكم راع وكلكم مسئول عن رعيته الإمام راع ومسئول عن رعيته والرجل راع في أهله وهو مسئول عن رعيته والمرأة راعية في بيت زوجها ومسئولة عن رعيتها والخادم راع في مال سيده ومسئول عن رعيته

"Each of you is a guardian and each of you is questioned over his subjects, the Imam who is responsible over the people and he is questioned over his responsibility, and the man is responsible over the people of his household and he is questioned over them, and the woman is responsible over her husband's house and his children and she is questioned over them, and the slave is a guardian over the wealth of his master and he is questioned over it, each of you is a guardian and each of you is questioned over their responsibility."

Capitalism's burdening of women with the task of being both the home-maker and boosting the country's economy has caused them much physical, emotional and psychological stress. However, due to the agenda of capitalist organizations, governments, and corporations who intend to take advantage of the all the resources of Muslims in their countries, the nature of women and the negative fallout upon their lives of viewing them as "economic drivers" is ignored. Under capitalism, women are considered empowered if they are employed as described by the Prime Minster's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the Fourth Qatar International Businesswomen Forum on the 11th November 2013. She stated, "Women need to be brave in order to become leaders in the high growth corporation, stimulate innovation and drive economic growth as required in the new economy." In reality however, it has resulted in the converse. Women have in fact become burdened with the task of becoming the backbone and driving force of the Malaysian economy due to the state's capitalist free-market system and agenda.

We must realize that the agenda to embrace further free-market liberalization policies for the country and to continue to implement the capitalist system in Malaysia will simply lead to the worsening of economic and living conditions for its women and children as well as harm the health and unity of the family unit. This non-Islamic, poverty-generating, exploitative system will never benefit Muslims in any manner for it stands at odds with the teachings of Islam. Allah (swt) says,

فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّڪُم مِّنِّى هُدً۬ى فَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشۡقَىٰ 123 وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُ ۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا وَنَحۡشُرُهُ ۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ

"Whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. But whoever turns away from My Reminder (That is, neither believes in the Qur'an nor acts on its orders) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." [TMQ Ta-Ha: 123-4]

Oh Muslims, remember that Allah swt has promised that all the contents of this earth is enough to be enjoyed by the whole of humanity as stated by Allah (swt) in Surah Fussilat,

وَجَعَلَ فِيہَا رَوَٲسِىَ مِن فَوۡقِهَا وَبَـٰرَكَ فِيہَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيہَآ أَقۡوَٲتَہَا فِىٓ أَرۡبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ۬ سَوَآءً۬ لِّلسَّآٮِٕلِينَ

"And He set on the earth firm mountains standing above its surface, and He blessed the earth and measured therein nourishment for all things, in four periods: in accordance with the needs of the seekers." [TMQ Fussilat: 10]

However, it is only by implementing all the laws of Islam under the system of Allah (swt), the Khilafah "Caliphate", including the Islamic economic system that the resources and wealth of this world can be distributed effectively and fairly amongst mankind and lift the poverty and economic hardship afflicting the citizens of the Muslim world.

This would alleviate women from the great burden of providing for their families and enable them to fulfill their roles and rights to their children, as well bring blessings to all corners of the world. Therefore, it is a purely Islamic agenda that women in Malaysia should embrace, and a purely Islamic system implemented by the Khilafah "Caliphate" that they should advocate as the model of governance for their land.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Sumayyah Amar
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir