Debt can have far-reaching consequences, sometimes impacting those who aren’t even involved in borrowing.
When creditors come calling, it isn’t just the debtor who suffers—families can also find themselves caught in the crossfire, enduring harassment and intimidation for debts they never agreed to.
It’s a situation one woman from Klang, Selangor, knows all too well.
Divorced from her ex-husband for 24 years, she likely never expected to be dealing with the fallout of his financial decisions decades later.
Yet, for the past two weeks, her family has been targeted by aggressive loan sharks seeking to collect over RM40,000 that he owes, reported Guang Ming DAILY.
Decades of separation, but still harassed
Despite having no part in the debt, the woman, her two sons, and her elderly mother have been subjected to relentless harassment.
“I haven’t had any contact with my ex-husband for over 20 years, so what he does has nothing to do with me or my family. I’m asking the loan sharks to leave us alone.”
Multiple times a day, debt collectors have shown up at their home, leaving threatening notes when they couldn’t find anyone there, causing immense distress.
Calls from various groups of loan sharks have come in, with more than 20 in just a few days, all demanding repayment.
‘They kept sending different people to our house at different times’
Attempts to ignore the situation only led to increased pressure, with loan sharks monitoring the house and causing the family to live in constant fear.
The woman’s 80-year-old mother, who was often home alone, had to face the unwelcome visitors, trying to explain that the debtor no longer lived with them.
“The loan sharks said they were looking for my ex-husband, and even though my mother told them he doesn’t live here, they kept sending different people to our house at different times.”
She had no obligation to the loan sharks
In a desperate search for relief, the woman turned to local assemblyman Quah Perng Fei for help.
Quah was quick to point out that she had no obligation to the loan sharks, as she was neither the borrower nor the guarantor of the debt.
He condemned the illegal methods of intimidation being used, stressing that debts should be pursued through legal avenues, not through harassment.
“Loans come with contracts, and debts should be collected through legal ways, not by using illegal methods like threats or intimidation.”
The woman and her sons, fearing further escalation, reported the ongoing harassment to the police on the 17th of this month.
With their safety and peace of mind compromised, they hope the authorities will step in and put an end to their ordeal.
Quah also urged anyone facing similar harassment to report such behaviour to the police immediately, reminding the public that they do not have to suffer intimidation tactics in silence.
