Threat tactics: The loan shark victims (both in masks) showing the threatening messages they received from loan sharks. With them are Bong (second from left) and Wanita division chief Sally Ng (left).
JOHOR BARU: A hairdresser and his 80-year-old mother have been forced to be on the run for months after receiving continuous threats from loan sharks over debts incurred by his estranged younger brother.
The victim, known as Ng, said the harassment began last November, even though he had no knowledge of his brother’s borrowings and had not been in contact with him for months.
“The threats and harassment have left our family shaken, especially my elderly mother, who is still recuperating from a major pelvic replacement surgery.
“Since the threats started, she has been too afraid to stay at home alone, so I had no choice but to take her along with me to my salon daily to keep her company,” he said in an interview.
At night, they rotate between friends’ homes out of fear for their safety.
“This constant moving around has also taken a toll on my mother’s health and stress levels. She is traumatised and scared to go home,” he said.
Besides Ng and his mother, his niece has also received similar threatening messages, mostly through WhatsApp, demanding that the family locate his 46-year-old brother or help settle the debt.
Some of the messages offered “free painting services” ahead of Chinese New Year, which he believes is a veiled threat as loan sharks commonly splash red paint to intimidate people.
“Another message went as far as threatening to send a coffin to my mother as her birthday gift.
“We became very concerned for our safety when they sent photos of our house, including the address and exterior,” he said.
Ng also claimed that the loan sharks had circulated defamatory images on social media, falsely accusing his family of being scammers, and even dug up photos and identification details of deceased family members.
He added that some of the threatening messages came from foreign phone numbers, including Singapore-registered lines, and that the harassment would continue using new numbers even after old ones were blocked.
Ng stressed that the family has formally cut ties with his younger brother and lodged police reports over the harassment, hoping the threats would stop.
“We have nothing to do with his debts, so please stop looking for us.
“We just want to live our lives in peace,” he said, adding that he has also sought help from Johor Baru MCA division chief Bong Seng Heng.
Bong said he will assist the family in liaising with the police to step up patrols around their home and workplace.
“Debts are personal matters and should not be transferred to innocent family members.
“Intimidating and threatening others are criminal acts,” he said, urging those facing similar harassment to come forward and lodge reports.
