00:04A 50-year-old woman who works as a manager is living in fear with her children after being
00:10repeatedly harassed by loan sharks over an alleged debt incurred by her ex-husband despite
00:16their divorce last year. The woman, who wishes to be known only as Yuan, said she began receiving
00:23threatening WhatsApp calls and messages earlier this month demanding RM25,000 allegedly borrowed
00:30by her former husband. She said the callers continued threatening her even after she denied
00:35any involvement in the debt.
00:55Yuan said she told the caller she was no longer associated with her ex-husband following their
01:01divorce but the caller said he didn't care. Speaking at a press conference organized by
01:06the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department at MCA headquarters on Wednesday, Yuan said the
01:13situation escalated when the loan sharks began threatening to harm and abduct her children,
01:18both of whom are still in school.
01:36She said the intimidation included threats to come to her home prompting her to lodge a
01:41police report as the harassment worsened. Yuan also said she does not know her ex-husband's
01:46whereabouts, who was previously believed to be working as a taxi driver. Meanwhile, MCA Public
01:53Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said the father of the woman's
01:59ex-husband, now 88, had sought help more than a decade ago when his son first became involved
02:06with loan sharks. Chong said the family had previously received assistance to settle debts amounting to
02:14more than 140,000 ringgit between 2012 and 2013. But the problem resurfaced.
02:21After helping him, he never chained. He never chained. He never chained. He still borrowed,
02:45the father, the father, and also put the ex-husband into trouble. I repeat again,
02:51why they put into trouble is that because he keep on borrowing.
02:54He said the family had repaid more than 176,000 ringgit in total, including 12,000 ringgit paid
03:03by UN in November last year and 19,000 ringgit in February this year, besides pledging jewellery.
03:10Chong said MCA had received 34 cases involving loan shark debts totalling about 9.4 million ringgit
03:19and urged the public to avoid illegal money lending as it posed a danger to individuals and families.
03:26Chong said MCA's a
03:45You
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