PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Michael Chong says loan sharks are hounding the family of a debtor who had died years ago.
The MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau chief said, at a press conference at Wisma MCA on Tuesday (Aug 13), that loan sharks had unexpectedly contacted the family on Aug 4 after years of silence.
The debtor's brother, a 46-year-old who only wanted to be known as Koh, said that his mother was contacted by the loan sharks using two different numbers.
“They demanded payment of RM46,000 that they claimed had been lent to my brother. They then said that if the money was not paid, they would 'come to see her' at her home,” he said.
Koh admitted that his late brother had accumulated debts in the past, with around RM100,000 being borrowed from loan sharks to help fund his studies. The family has also helped pay off those debts over the years.
However, after he took his own life in 2021 because of financial problems, loan sharks generally left the family alone.
A police report regarding the threats had been lodged on Aug 4.
Chong, who organised the press conference, said that he had also spoken to the loan sharks on behalf of the family.
"I told them that the person who borrowed the money had passed away, but they still insisted on claiming the money from the mother. They also said that they would offer a 'discount’," he said.
He added that these sorts of cases were not new, with at least two other cases in the past having similar circumstances.
