KUALA LUMPUR: A 29-year-old woman from Ampang claims she became the target of loan sharks after her Indonesian tenant allegedly used the address of her rented flat to secure illegal loans.
The woman, who only wished to be known as Lim, said she rented out her flat in Ampang to a 52-year-old Indonesian woman in March last year out of sympathy, without signing any formal tenancy agreement.
The tenant allegedly claimed she was working as a restaurant waitress and only intended to stay for six months.
“The tenant told me that she is having financial problems and just wants to rent for a short term period.
“The flat was rented out for RM600 a month,” she said at a press conference organised by the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department at MCA headquarters here on Monday (May 11).
However, trouble began when she received a call from a loan shark on April 20 this year, claiming the tenant had borrowed money and failed to repay the debt.
The caller allegedly told Lim that her contact details and house address had been listed as references for the loan.
Lim said she later discovered the tenant had allegedly used utility bills linked to the property to apply for loans from illegal moneylenders.
Fearing for her safety, she instructed the tenant to vacate the premises on April 21 after also learning from neighbours that several unknown individuals had been seen visiting the house while the tenant was away.
“The loan sharks threatened to burn down the house and splash red paint on the property. I even received a video showing a house being set on fire,” she claimed.
She also alleged that the tenant had allowed loan sharks to enter the premises and record videos inside the house without her consent.
Out of fear for her safety and to prevent damage to the property, Lim claimed she paid RM3,450 to the loan sharks.
However, she said the harassment and demands for additional payments continued.
A police report was lodged at the Pandan Indah police station on April 29.
Meanwhile, MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong advised homeowners to be more cautious before renting out their properties, especially to foreign tenants.
He said landlords should obtain complete information from tenants, including copies of identification documents and photographs, while ensuring a proper tenancy agreement is signed.
“For foreign tenants, landlords should also ensure that they possess valid travel and identification documents,” he said.
Chong added that proper documentation could help protect landlords in the event tenants become involved in criminal activities or illegal loans.
