A 67-YEAR-OLD Malaysian woman has appealed for protection after she and her family were allegedly harassed by a loan shark demanding RM47,000—said to be a debt left behind by her youngest son, who died during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021.
Speaking at a press conference at Wisma MCA, the woman, only known as Choo, said her son had been heavily indebted at the time of his death and had previously borrowed from multiple illegal lenders.
Despite having died more than four years ago, she said a man claiming to represent a loan syndicate began contacting her on 8 August, demanding repayment of the outstanding sum.
“He was my youngest and often borrowed from along (loan sharks),” she said. “His elder brother once helped pay off nearly RM100,000 for him. He died at the age of 34 and left behind a wife.”
Choo said the man has made repeated phone calls and sent WhatsApp messages from multiple numbers, and has also contacted her other son, threatening to continue harassing the family if they do not pay the money.
“I explained that my son has been dead for over four years. How am I supposed to pay this? I told him we have no money. But the threats haven’t stopped,” she said. “I’m frightened—he said he would come to our house. I’ve lodged a police report and sought help from MCA.”
Datuk Seri Michael Chong, head of the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department, condemned the incident and urged authorities to take decisive action against such loan shark syndicates. He said his bureau receives hundreds of such complaints each year, with many victims coming from the Chinese community.
“This behaviour is both immoral and unlawful. It must be stopped,” Chong said. “Harassing the grieving families of the deceased over debts with no legal basis is not only wrong—it is criminal.” August 12, 2025
