JOHOR BARU, April 23 — A 24-year-old workshop owner is being chased by loan sharks to pay off the debts of his estranged father, whom he hasn't seen in 10 years.
Samson Lu Jiatao said he started receiving threats from multiple mobile phone numbers about two weeks ago, demanding that debt collectors repay all of his father's debts, which are believed to be more than RM100,000.
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“In the past two weeks, I have received an average of about 30 calls and text messages every day from loan sharks threatening me and my family.
“So far, the Ah Long family has not taken any physical action and has verbally threatened to cause damage to my house in Taman Sierra Perdana and my workshop in Taman Mount Austin. I just threatened you.
“However, I am worried because my 55-year-old mother lives with me and is alone most of the time. Meanwhile, my 26-year-old brother is rarely at home as he works in Penang.” Mr. Lu described his worries as follows. He held a press conference today at the Johor Jaya State House Service Center in Taman Johor Jaya.
The centre's Complaints and Services Officer Michael Mok Meng Ho was also present.
Mr Lu, who has not seen his father for the past 10 years, believed his father owed him more than RM100,000.
He added that in addition to threats and harassment via phone calls and text messages, loan sharks also used his photos and edited them on Facebook to embarrass him.
“This is very disturbing as such posts on Facebook can tarnish my reputation as a business owner,” he said, adding that he had reported the matter to the Serialam District Police Headquarters last Thursday. He added that he had submitted a document.
Lu explained that her father left her parents' home in Shah Alam, Selangor, to remarry another woman when she was nine years old.
He said he moved to Johor Bahru with his mother and younger brother about 10 years ago to start a new life.
“Since then, I have lost contact with my father,” he said.
According to Lu, the loan sharks claimed that they had guarantored her father's loan and demanded that I repay the loan.
“There is no evidence that I was a guarantor and I did not sign any documents or have any dealings with the Aarons or others related to my father's loan.
“As the situation became more and more desperate, last week I tried to get my father's phone number and managed to speak to him.
“My father admitted that he had borrowed money from a loan shark and was refusing to pay because the interest on the loan had soared and has now doubled,” he said, adding that it had been 10 years since he had spoken to his father.
Mr Mok, who is also Johor Jaya DAP branch secretary, hopes Mr Lu's plight will be resolved soon.
He also called on the police to ensure the safety of Lu and his family.
When contacted, Seria Alam police chief Superintendent Sohaimi Ishak confirmed that he had received Lu's report.
