A family in Kepong is pleading with a group of Ah Longs (loan sharks) to leave them alone after their home was set on fire over an unpaid debt their son allegedly owed.
To further add on to their predicament, the very same debt had reportedly driven their son to end his life by plunging off a building in Johor Bahru (JB).
Ah Longs burn house of M’sian family whose 27yo son took his life over debt
Speaking to reporters at a press conference organised by Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng yesterday (Jan 21), the parents of 27-year-old He Wen Jie (transliteration) recounted the timeline of events that culminated in tragedy.
According to He’s father, he was informed by his youngest son regarding a Facebook post claiming that He, who was working at Singapore at the time, had owed money to several Ah Longs on Dec 17, 2024.
When He’s father called to verify the claim, the young man admitted that he had borrowed S$500 (approximately RM1,648) from a Singaporean loan shark group for his daily expenses.
However, He insisted that others who claimed to have been owed money were scammers.
“I believed my son could handle the matter on his own and didn’t press further. However, on Dec 19, I began receiving multiple calls from loan sharks demanding payment.
“When I tried to contact his son, my calls went unanswered. The next day, one loan shark group told me that my son will jump to his death very soon,” he said
He’s father said he immediately contacted his son’s roommate in Singapore, who informed him that He had left at 4pm that day and never returned. Singaporean police later told him that He had already left the country.
Unfortunately, the family’s worst fears became a reality on Dec 21 when they received a call from the funeral parlour, telling them that He had fallen off from a building and died at a hospital in JB.
Following He’s death, life only became more hellish for his family, who had to endure threatening calls and harassment from Ah Longs.
Things eventually came to a fever pitch when the Ah Longs sent someone to toss a Molotov cocktail at He’s home on Jan 18, which was all caught on CCTV.
‘Please leave us alone’
He’s father told reporters that his son was a quiet and honest person, adding that the Ah Longs never produced proof of He owing them money.
He also called upon the loan sharks to stop harassing the family and allow them to live their lives peacefully.
We’ve already lost our son. Please stop tormenting us,” he pleaded.
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