JOHOR BARU: After spending ten months in the hospital, a taxi driver returned home only to discover that his son had run away, leaving him with a mountain of debt.
The 63-year-old man, who only wanted to be known as Khoo, was coming home after undergoing treatments and surgery involving his large intestine in October last year.
"The house was empty when I got back. My son, his wife, and his two children were nowhere to be found, and their belongings were gone.
"I tried to contact him but was unable to reach his phone despite numerous attempts.
"I later found out that my son had also left my grandchildren, who are two and four years old, with a relative before fleeing with his wife," he said during a press conference at the Perling assemblyman’s service centre here.
All of the questions at the back of his head were answered a few days later when two unknown men came to his house, claiming that his son had not returned the money he had borrowed from their boss.
"That was when I realised why my son had left abruptly. I also found out that his car and motorcycle had been seized by some of the loan sharks.
"Over the next two months, I continued receiving unwanted visitors who claimed my son had borrowed money from them.
"They threatened to damage my house and car if I refused to pay his debts," he said, adding that his son is estimated to have borrowed a total of RM200,000 from several loan sharks.
Khoo, who has been living alone since his return from the hospital, said he now fears leaving his house, worried that the loan sharks might harm him or his property.
"Sometimes, they wait outside my house and threaten me again when they see me.
"I am now too scared to leave my house, even for hospital follow-ups.
"My wife, who lives and works in Singapore, is also afraid to return home because of the threats," he said.
After enduring the ordeal for about two months, Khoo finally heeded his friends' advice and filed a police report on Dec 31, 2024.
"I was afraid to lodge a report, thinking it would make matters worse, but I just cannot take this anymore.
"I hope my son does the responsible thing and pays off his debts instead of dumping the burden on his elderly father, who has just undergone surgery.
"I also hope the loan sharks will leave me alone as I am not involved in this at all," said Khoo, adding that he has cut ties with his son.
Meanwhile, Johor DAP assistant secretary Ng Sum Luang who arranged for the press conference said Khoo's son should come forward and repay his debts.
"Khoo has not been working for about a year because of his health and fear of the loan sharks.
"He depends on his wife and friends to survive as he has no source of income. There is no way for him to pay his son's debts," she said.
