Tuesday January 30, 2007
Cops want to prosecute Ah Long’s victims
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
KUALA LUMPUR: People who borrow money from loan sharks may find themselves prosecuted if a proposal by the police to the Housing and Local Government Ministry gets the go-ahead.
“Loan sharking is an offence and people should know better than to go to the Ah Longs. The borrowers know very well what the Ah Longs are capable of doing if they fail to settle their debts,” said Federal Commercial Crime director Datuk Ramli Yusuf.
He said that borrowers were also culpable for the violence wreaked by loan sharks, because the tough actions taken by Ah Longs – property damage, assault and in some cases murder – were usually in response to borrowers defaulting on payments.
“We will be submitting a proposal to the Housing and Local Government Ministry to draft a new law allowing for borrowers to be prosecuted,” he told newsmen yesterday.
He hoped that such a law, once in place, would deter people from borrowing from Ah Longs and instead compel them to go to licensed moneylenders.
Ramli also said police would come down hard on licensed moneylenders who flout the rules.
“There are 3,100 licensed moneylenders in the country and most of them have contravened the law. Initial investigation showed that 61 licensed holders from Malacca alone had broken the rules, including giving their licences to others,” he said.
He advised those seeking loans to check with the police or the ministry to see if the moneylenders were legal.
“The list of legal moneylenders is also posted in the police and ministry websites,” he added.
An official with the Housing and Local Government Ministry, which has jurisdiction over the Money Lending Act 1951, said the proposal and its implications were being studied.
“Currently, there is no legislation or clause in the Act to take action against those who borrow from loan sharks. We have to study the legality of the proposal. There is a need to amend the law to make such arrests viable.”
MCA Public Complaints and Services Department head Datuk Michael Chong agrees with the police proposal to penalise people who borrow from Ah Longs.
“This is the best way to teach the public a lesson. They know it is illegal to borrow money from loan sharks but they still do it,” he said.
News Poll
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- Fresh polls in six to eight months if new mechanism used
- Eli’s ex still being sought by cops
- Settle RM57, 5As pupil told High scorer can’t collect result slip
- Ong’s political secretary resigns
- The Star goes to Sarawak
- 10 states see increase in number of dengue cases
- AirAsia launches new flights to three Indian cities
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- Take care of yourself first
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- MACC accepts court decision
- Researcher: Faint writing seen on Shroud of Turin
RSS
