Single mom allegedly harassed by loan sharks over son’s debt, SUPP’s Foo urges enforcement action

KUCHING (Feb 2): A single mother and her family are living in fear after allegedly being harassed by loan sharks over a debt said to have been incurred by one of her sons.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau chief Milton Foo said he accompanied the victims,  a mother and daughter, at a press conference on Monday to highlight the seriousness of the case and to urge enforcement authorities to take firm action.

“The victim, Madam Chan, 50, is a single mother of five whose husband passed away two years ago.

“One of her sons, aged 23, is believed to have borrowed money without the family’s knowledge, after which alleged debt collectors began contacting his relatives,”  Foo told reporters.

Foo said the woman’s second daughter received a phone call on Jan 21 from a female caller claiming that her brother owed about RM38,000 and demanding an initial payment of RM10,000, allegedly as interest.

Although the family did not respond, the calls continued.

“On Jan 31, a man claiming to be a loan company manager contacted the daughter via WhatsApp, providing her full name, identity card number and home address, and warning that serious action would be taken against the address if the debt was not settled.

“The situation escalated on Feb 2 when the family received threatening videos, including footage allegedly showing firecrackers being thrown at a house and acts involving fire, accompanied by messages implying that people would be sent to the family’s home during the festive season,” he added.

Foo said that although the source of the videos remains unclear, the content amounted to intimidation.

He added that the alleged debt collectors had also gone to the victim’s workplace on Jan 30 to look for her and to pressure her employer.

The family has lodged several police reports over phone harassment, threats and workplace intimidation, and has obtained copies of the reports.

Madam Chan and her daughter said they never signed any loan agreement and are not the borrowers, and appealed for the matter to be directed at the actual debtor.

Fearing for their safety, the family has temporarily moved out and is staying with relatives.

Commenting on the case, Foo stressed that debt recovery must be carried out strictly through legal channels, regardless of whether a loan company claims to be licensed.

“If a borrower defaults, creditors must pursue recovery through lawful means such as lawyer’s letters and court proceedings.

“Even banks recover debts through the courts, asset seizure or bankruptcy proceedings, not through threats or harassment,” said Foo.

He said sending threatening messages or videos and pressuring family members who are not party to the loan agreement constitutes criminal intimidation, and is not permitted under the law.

Tiang added that the case involved physical presence at the victim’s workplace, identifiable phone numbers and digital evidence, making it a matter that warrants active police investigation.

“This is no longer just an online loan issue. There are real individuals involved, real threats made, and real fear inflicted on innocent family members,” he said.

Tiang also cautioned the public against unregulated or online loan traps and clarified that attempts to publicly declare a cut-off of family ties have no legal effect, stressing that debt liability is determined solely by those who signed the loan agreement.