KUALA LUMPUR: In a heart-wrenching and dramatic turn of events, a 63-year-old man has publicly severed ties with his daughter after discovering she had accumulated a staggering RM250,000 in debt from unlicensed moneylenders, commonly known as “ah long”. According to the latest report of The Star, the family has been enduring intense harassment from these lenders, who have relentlessly demanded repayment of the loans since 2023.
Lan Chee Kong, the father at the centre of this distressing story, revealed in a press conference held at Wisma MCA that his family’s peace was shattered when loan sharks began targeting them. The harassment escalated to a point where Lan felt compelled to confront his daughter at her home, hoping to understand why they were being pursued by the ah long.
It was during this confrontation that Lan uncovered the startling truth— his daughter had shared his personal identity card details with the moneylenders. This revelation sent shock waves through the family, and Lan, desperate to resolve the crisis, began using his savings from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and borrowing from relatives to pay down the debt. However, despite his efforts and his daughter’s promise to stop borrowing, she continued to seek loans from the same dangerous sources.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Lan’s daughter, instead of thanking him for his sacrifices, filed a police report against him, accusing him of harassment. Unable to bear the mounting pressure and the burden of repaying the debt, Lan made the heartbreaking decision to disown his daughter, cutting all ties with her in an attempt to protect himself and his family from further distress.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau Chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong, who attended the press conference, warned the public about the dangers of borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders. Chong reported that at least 42 cases of loan shark extortion have been filed with his bureau since January alone. He urged Malaysians to borrow only from regulated, licensed lenders, as most ah long resorted to violent tactics, including threats of extortion and public shaming on social media, when payments are not met.
“Unlicensed moneylenders not only charge exorbitant interest rates, but they will also use extreme measures, such as threatening to expose your details or ruin your reputation online,” Chong cautioned.
The press conference also brought attention to the plight of other victims of loan sharks. One victim, a 50-year-old man identified only as Lai, shared his experience of how an ah long had tarnished his stepdaughter’s reputation by falsely advertising her as a sex worker on social media after her estranged biological father failed to repay a RM9,000 loan. In a disturbing turn, Lai and his family were harassed by two separate groups of loan sharks, who threatened them with graphic photos of drugs and made ominous threats to visit their home. Lai’s stepdaughter has since filed three separate police reports in an attempt to stop the harassment.
In another case, a 50-year-old man named Chin was duped by a man claiming to be a middleman, “Datuk Lim”. Chin transferred RM26,000, including an RM1,000 “service charge”, believing that Lim would settle his debts with five different ah long. Despite these payments, the threats from the loan sharks continued, and Chin later discovered he had been scammed with fake bank transfers. Chin, who runs an IT service company, initially took the loans to keep his business afloat.
The harrowing stories don’t end there. Another victim, Lee, shared how a loan shark publicly displayed his identity card in his office after he refused to pay an inflated repayment amount. Lee had borrowed RM3,000 in November, only to receive RM2,050. After repaying RM2,250, the ah long demanded an additional RM1,800. When Lee refused to comply, the lenders resorted to hacking into his phone and threatening to contact his friends and family.
These chilling cases are a stark reminder of the severe consequences of borrowing from illegal lenders. As the stories of Lan, Lai, Chin, and Lee reveal, the practices of ah long not only lead to financial ruin but also cause immense emotional and social distress.
Chong’s message to the public is clear: “Be cautious and avoid engaging with unlicensed moneylenders at all costs.”