Dad cuts ties with son after a decade of bailing him out from loan sharks
KUALA LUMPUR: A frustrated father has publicly disowned his son over a relentless gambling habit that led to repeated harassment by loan sharks, also known as Ah Long.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he recalled the man asking for his help 10 years ago.
“About 10 years ago, Mr Loi came to me for help. He agreed to settle his son’s debts on the condition that the loan sharks slapped the boy in front of him to teach him a lesson,” Chong said.
“They did so. But it seems the son has not changed his ways,” Chong said at a press conference at Wisma MCA yesterday.
Loi, 58, said he had settled his son’s debts on more than eight occasions, paying about RM300,000 over the past decade.
However, earlier this month Loi received WhatsApp messages threatening to set his house on fire if the outstanding debts were not paid.
Another unfortunate parent, Ms Yeow (51), also had a similar story. Her son had borrowed money from at least 13 loan sharks, leading to debts of RM183,750.
“On Sept 25 we received messages from loan sharks that they would cut his hands and burn my house if debts were not paid. They also threatened to kidnap other relatives,” she said.
She also claimed that the loan sharks had hacked her phone and impersonated her voice to convince family members to reveal the locations of her son and also hers.
“They had also locked the gates of a house that was sold around six years ago,” she said.
Chong said his department had handled around 300 loan shark complaints so far this year – matching the total recorded for the whole of 2025.
“And the year is still not done. There will be more,” he said.
He also said that he had informed his lawyers to study a proposal to make borrowers legally responsible for their actions.
“As you can see, when they borrow, they make their family’s life difficult as well. We want to study if there are ways to make them criminally responsible under the law.
“There are so many avenues to borrow money legally, but yet they choose this path. It is not like they do not know the implications that come with it, but yet they do so,” he said.
