A 58-year-old woman is living in fear after being targeted by loan sharks—not for her own debts, but for those racked up by her son. The woman, identified only as Teh, has faced escalating threats, including arson and kidnapping, after her son allegedly instructed the creditors to intimidate her into paying his gambling debts.
According to Teh, her 31-year-old son, who works as a deliveryman in Singapore, has been battling an online gambling addiction. In his desperation for funds, he borrowed from illegal moneylenders—commonly known as ah long—and reportedly told them to harass his mother when he could not repay them.
The ordeal began in July last year, when Teh discovered her house had been vandalized with red paint—a common tactic used by loan sharks to intimidate debtors. Her son then pleaded for her help, and Teh, moved by his distress, borrowed from friends and relatives to settle RM30,000 of his debt. He had promised to repay her RM1,000 per month, but she has yet to receive any payment.
The situation worsened last month. Teh received a threatening phone call from an unknown man who warned he would set fire to her home and kidnap her granddaughter. On April 21, her house was once again defaced with red paint. She and her daughter also began receiving menacing text messages demanding payment.
It was only then that her son admitted he had recently borrowed more money—this time from loan sharks he had connected with via social media. When Teh urged him to return home and resolve the issue, he refused, claiming work obligations. Feeling betrayed and endangered, she told him she would cut off all contact.
Teh has since turned to Johor Bersatu public complaints bureau chief Lim Thow Siang for help. According to her, her son told the loan sharks they were free to take any action they deemed necessary, as he no longer had ties to his family. He allegedly went as far as suggesting they burn down her house to force her into paying.
Lim confirmed that Teh has lodged two police reports over the red paint incidents. “In my 15 years of social work, I have never encountered a case where a son urges loan sharks to burn down his mother’s home,” he said. Lim also took the unusual step of contacting the loan sharks directly to appeal for the harassment to stop.
He urged the public to avoid online gambling and the dangerous trap of illegal lenders, emphasizing the devastating toll such choices can take on families.—The Star
