Singaporean Loansharks Set Malaysian Woman's Pahang Home On Fire & Threatens Her Kids
"After setting our house compound on fire, the loanshark demanded SGD3,000 (RM10,332) as 'fees' for the person who was hired to set the house on fire," the wife claimed.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Sep 2023, 04:48 PM
A family residing in Karak, Pahang, is being terrorised and harassed by loansharks belonging to a Singaporean syndicate.
They set the family's home ablaze twice earlier this month in a terrifying attempt to coerce payment for alleged outstanding debts.
The family's ordeal began on 7 September, when one of the loansharks contacted the wife of a 29-year-old man, claiming that her husband working in Singapore had borrowed money from them.
According to New Straits Times, the wife, who wanted to be known only as Chong, then contacted her husband, known only as Kwan, who has been working as a chef in Singapore for the past two years.
Kwan explained that he had initiated a loan application for SGD10,000 (RM34,435) in May by clicking a link from a money lending company on social media, but later cancelled the application, the wife stated.
Unsatisfied with this explanation, the loanshark demanded a payment of SGD2,000 (RM6,883) for the cancelled application. The threats also escalated as the days passed, with the loanshark claiming that they would harm the couple's two kids, aged four and five, if their demands to settle the debts were not met.
While her husband deposited SGD200 (RM688) as ordered by the loanshark, the demands for more money have continued to mount
According to the 28-year-old wife, the syndicate falsely claimed to have transferred SGD300 (RM1,031) into her husband's account, despite no such transaction taking place.
The situation took a horrifying turn when the loanshark set the family's home compound on fire on 11 and 15 September, demanding SGD3,000 (RM10,332) as 'fees' for the individual responsible for the arson.
This relentless campaign of terror has left the family in a state of perpetual fear, leading Chong to quit her job as a clerk and keep her children away from school due to concerns for their safety.
Aside from targeting Chong and her family, the loansharks harassed her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, using various phone numbers, including those from Singapore, according to the report.
In desperation, she also sought assistance from Datuk Seri Michael Chong, the head of the MCA Public Services and Complaints bureau at Wisma MCA recently.
"We are living in terror and I dare not send my children to school for fear of their safety after the loansharks said they will take away my children," she said, adding that three police reports have been lodged.
Her husband, who also lodged a report in Singapore, was forced to quit his job and return to Malaysia to be with the family.
