Senior couple disowns oldest son over unpaid 'ah long' debts

KUALA LUMPUR: An elderly couple is disowning their eldest son for excessive borrowing from ah long.

The 71-year-old woman, known as Mu, and her 84-year-old husband, are suffering due to their 47-year-old son's debt as the ah long are harassing them endlessly.

"My son borrowed from ah long four times this year.

"We already settled more than RM100,000 for the first three of his ah long debts but he still borrowed for the fourth time (this year) and he has since gone missing," she told a press conference organised by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong at Wisma MCA on Friday (Oct 21).

Mu said the ah long have been targeting her home in Puchong as they could not locate her son.

"They even chained up our front gate on Oct 12 to prevent us from going outside.

"Authorities had to come and cut the chain before we could leave the house," she said.

The ah long have also spread flyers stating her son's unpaid debt around the neighbourhood, she said.

"They have threatened to spray paint our home and even set our home on fire," she added.

Mu said her daughter had since lodged a police report at the Bandar Kinrara police station.

"I appeal to the moneylenders to leave our family alone as we could not withstand the constant harassment.

"We have disowned our son so go after him, not us," she said.

Mu said her son was a habitual borrower, so much so that even his wife and their two sons had left him.

"We don't know where he is now... I hope the ah long will leave us alone," she said.

Another victim, who only wished to be known as Wong, said she also wished to disown her 22-year-old son for his constant loans from ah long.

"He has been borrowing from ah long since he was 19.

"I have settled RM30,000 of loans and enough is enough," said the 60-year-old woman.

She said her son could not be located and as a result the ah long have been harassing her family.

"I hope the moneylenders go after my son and not my family members.

"This has got to stop," she added.

Meanwhile, Chong said he received 220 ah long cases this year with loans totalling RM26mil.

"The highest record of cases was in August with 41 cases.

"It is very worrying as the cases are still occurring," he said.

Chong urged the police to take action against the ah long's brazen acts of intimidation as soon as possible.

"We hope these culprits will be brought to justice.

"They are targeting innocent victims for the debts of others," he said.