JOHOR BARU: A 51-year-old woman wants to sever ties with her son, who allegedly took an illegal loan to feed his drug habit.
The woman, known only as Too, said she began receiving threatening WhatsApp messages and phone calls last week from strangers claiming that her 23-year-old son owed them RM2,000.
“The suspected loan sharks threatened to harm my family if I failed to repay the debt on my son’s behalf.
“Within four days, the amount had ballooned to RM8,000,” she said.
Too said the threats were the final straw as she could no longer endure the emotional stress brought on by her son, who has been struggling with drug addiction for about a year.
“He used to work in Singapore, but he lost his job about one-and-a-half months ago.
“Since returning to Johor, he often locked himself in his room, and I noticed his behaviour becoming abnormal. His speech was unclear, and he could barely walk properly.
“I suspected he was still using drugs and wanted to send him to a rehabilitation centre, but he ran away from home on May 12,” she said.
Too hopes the loan sharks would stop coming after her as she could not afford to settle her son’s debt.
“My daughter is currently unemployed, and my husband and I are estranged.
“I feel very sad as a mother, but I have no choice but to sever ties with my son,” she said, adding that she lodged a police report on May 17 and sought help from Johor Baru City Council councillor Teow Chia Ling.
Meanwhile, Teow called on illegal money lenders to stop harassing innocent family members.
“Once a person is above 18 years old, they should be responsible for their own actions,” she said.
Teow also urged families dealing with drug addiction issues not to suffer in silence or fear seeking help.
She said many parents avoided approaching the authorities because they were worried about the legal consequences for their children, despite rehabilitation and counselling services being available through the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK).
“It is a free government service, and families should seek intervention early, so addicts have a chance to rebuild their lives instead of allowing the situation to worsen,” she said.
The 24-hour AADK hotline can be reached via 1-800-22-2235 or through WhatsApp at 019-626 2233.
