15-Year-Old Falls Into RM13,000 Ah Long Debt To Buy Girlfriend 'Siakap Tiga Rasa'
The teenager had borrowed money from a total of 12 loan sharks.
A 15-year-old boy from Selangor landed himself in crippling debt after borrowing money from loan sharks to treat his girlfriend to a nice meal
According to the New Straits Times, the teenager is one of over 3,700 cases reported to Operasi Darul Muttaqim (DM), an initiative that was created to assist individuals who have fallen victim to ah longs (loan sharks) and other illegal money-lending schemes.
DM Fardu Ain and Al-Quran Studies Centre manager Fariz Izhar Adrus revealed that the teenager had borrowed money from a total of 12 loan sharks, racking up RM13,000 in debt.
Fariz said the teenager had dropped out of school and moved in with his uncle. The boy's parents were unaware of the situation until DM intervened.
"The teenager came across an advertisement on TikTok for an ah long after his girlfriend craved ikan siakap tiga rasa," he was quoted as saying.
"He was too embarrassed [to borrow money from his parents], and eventually, he borrowed from ah longs.
"The teenager was among over 3,700 cases involving individuals aged 15 to 60 who were in trouble with ah longs and debts that we have helped to resolve over the past three years," Fariz added.
Many other cases involved women who borrow money to cover family expenses, only to find themselves trapped in a bind
Fariz shared that some women are forced to surrender their newborns as collateral when they cannot settle the debts owed to illegal moneylenders.
DM general manager Datuk Mohd Zaki Zainol said most cases negotiated secretly with loan sharks, instead of informing their husbands or families about their money troubles.
He said many of these cases also fall prey to more scams, drugs, and gambling.
Three years ago, social media was shocked when a tourist in Langkawi was charged RM1,852.50 for an ikan siakap meal:
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