IPOH: They have not had a good night’s sleep ever since their home and car were vandalised with red paint by illegal moneylenders, following a loan taken by a family member working in Singapore.
“We are unable to sleep peacefully. We get anxious whenever we see motorcycles or cars passing by the house,” said a 30-year-old direct sales agent with the surname Soo.
She said the loan sharks came at 1.15am on Sunday, splashing paint on their car and gate of their house located in Bandar Baru Menglembu near here
“Our neighbour’s gate, porch and ceiling were also hit.”
She said the loan sharks sent her a text message the next day, asking her to settle her brother’s debts.
“They have threatened to vandalise our house again if the matter is not settled,” she told a press conference held by Perak MCA public service and complaints bureau chief Charles Yuen yesterday.
Soo said that her 42-year-old brother, who is the eldest of four siblings, had borrowed money many times before.
At one point, she said the family had cut ties with her brother and announced the matter in the Chinese papers.
However, she said the loan sharks continued to harass the family for money.
Soo said the family had lodged a police report following Sunday’s attack.
A previous report was made five years ago when the loan sharks had threatened the family, she added.
Soo said her 60-year-old mother and 70-year-old father are deeply disturbed over the incident and fear for their safety.
Her mother, identified as Fong, said her son, who works in a food catering business in Singapore, had borrowed money many times from loan sharks.
Yuen said many of those who took up loans from ah long were Malaysians working in Singapore who found themselves short of money.
He reminded the public to avoid unlicensed lending platforms.
