IPOH: Two mothers in Perak are living in fear after being repeatedly harassed by illegal moneylenders over debts allegedly incurred by their sons.
The women said that they have received threatening messages and phone calls, while one of their homes has been vandalised despite repaying the debts.
In the first case, Lee, 64, from Pengkalan, Ipoh, said she had received threatening messages from multiple local phone numbers.
“My house was splashed with red paint and the loan sharks threatened to throw molotov cocktail into my house.
“My 27-year-old son, a salesperson in Ipoh, admitted to borrowing money from loan sharks but did not reveal how much he owed or how many lenders were involved,” she said during a press conference organised by the Perak MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau chief Charles Yuen on Tuesday (July 7).
Believing she could resolve the matter, Lee paid about RM30,000 to the moneylenders.
“I initially thought it was a scam. Later, I paid them gradually because they claimed they knew my son well. I wanted to end the emotional distress, but the payments never seemed to stop.
“I still don’t know how much he actually borrowed,” she said, adding that she is no longer in contact with her son.
She hopes the illegal moneylenders will stop targeting her as she did not incur the debts and has decided to sever ties with her son.
In a separate case in Kampar, single mother Woo, 58, said she has paid about RM80,000 to settle debts allegedly incurred by her only son.
Woo said she worked three jobs, including as a waitress, to raise her son but exhausted her Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings, personal savings and even borrowed money from relatives to repay his debts.
She believes her 28-year-old son, who is working as a kitchen helper in Johor, borrowed money for online gambling.
Woo said she continues to receive threatening calls and messages from local and Singapore phone numbers demanding repayment.
She now lives with her 57-year-old sister and both fear for their safety.
“I’ve done everything I can to help my son, but I can no longer afford to pay.
“I just want the harassment to stop,” she said, adding that she has decided to cut ties with him.
Meanwhile, Yuen urged the public not to borrow money from illegal moneylenders, regardless of how quick or convenient the process may seem.
"Instead, seek assistance from licensed financial institutions or legitimate government aid programmes.
“We also urge stronger inter-agency cooperation to dismantle illegal lending networks and ensure innocent families are protected from further harm,” he said.
