Family at wits’ end over Singapore loan shark

IPOH: An electrician claims a Singapore-based loan shark has been continuously harassing his family despite him having settled the debt.

Wong Tuck Heng, 52, also claimed that the loan shark had received four times the amount owed to him.

Wong said his 31-year-old son who works as a waiter in Singapore had borrowed S$400 (about RM1,200) on July 30 from an online moneylender to pay his house rental after not having a job during the restriction order due to Covid-19.

He said between Aug 14 and 20, his son had paid the loan shark S$1,600 (RM4,864).

“On Aug 27 when I was leaving my house in Menglembu at about 6am, I saw the front gate and the porch floor were torched and I lodged a police report on the same day.

“There was also a notice on the wall asking me to call a person in Singapore by the name of Jimmy as my son owes him money.

“I called my son to get a clearer picture and he told me that the loan shark was asking for another S$2,000 to settle the matter,” he said at a press conference at his house yesterday organised by the Perak MCA Public Complaints and Bureau chief Low Guo Nan.

Wong said he called Jimmy and was told to pay S$5,000 to settle the matter, which he refused to do.

Low hopes the police would look into the case and urged other agencies to look into the increasing online moneylending advertisements attracting youngsters due to the low interest rates provided.

“With travel restrictions due to Covid-19, I am sure the loan shark from Singapore is not allowed to travel into the country, thus local accomplices must be working with him,” he added.