Local singer claims extortion by multiple illegal money lending groups

A LOCAL female singer has come forward claiming she has been subjected to threats and intimidation by multiple illegal money lending syndicates, commonly known as loan sharks or “ah long”, following a disputed personal loan arrangement made earlier this year.

The singer, who identified herself only as Yee, said she initially sought financial assistance in April via WhatsApp from an individual who claimed to represent a licensed money lender, with the intention of funding the launch of her music album.

She said she had agreed to borrow RM45,000, but ultimately received only about RM17,000.

By May, Yee alleged that the lenders began demanding what she described as unreasonable and escalating interest payments.

Shortly after, she said she was contacted by more than four separate loan shark groups, each offering additional loans purportedly to help settle her existing debt.

“These individuals demanded that I make payments within a fixed timeframe on the same day. They then began extorting me by threatening to increase the original interest rate by two or even four times if I failed to pay.

“It was like an endless black hole from which I could not escape because they kept demanding more money every day,” she said at a press conference held at Wisma MCA on Thursday.

Yee further alleged that the syndicates circulated edited photographs of her and her family on social media, accompanied by captions accusing them of being scammers.

She added that she was also threatened with reputational damage, kidnapping, and physical harm to her family members.

According to her, the groups further claimed that they had backing from an individual referred to as a “Datuk Seri”.

“To date, I have already paid more than RM20,000 to them. However, they are still extorting me and demanding more money. I have run out of funds and can no longer afford to settle this debt,” she said.

Yee confirmed that she has lodged a police report in Sabak Bernam over the incident.

Meanwhile, MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he had discussed similar cases with Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Rusdi Mohd Isa and had submitted several police reports for further investigation.

“These loan sharks only disburse a small portion of the promised loan before continuing to extort victims. They do not respect the law and continue threatening victims even after police reports have been made,” he said.

Chong urged victims of such scams to come forward and advised them not to comply with demands from the syndicates. - May 7, 2026