KUCHING: A family has been left living in fear after alleged debt collectors turned up at the homes of an elderly couple twice in two days, demanding repayment of a loan allegedly taken out by their son, who has since gone missing from home.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaint Bureau chief, Milton Foo said the man’s wife, believed to be in her 30s, a mother of two children, discovered her husband missing on Aug 8 after he failed to return the previous night and could not be reached by phone.
A search of the house found a piece of luggage and clothes missing, along with a handwritten letter to his parents admitting he owed a large sum he could not repay, asking that a police report be lodged if anyone came to collect on his behalf.
“The wife handed the letter to her in-laws, who said they too could not afford to settle the debt,” Foo said during a press conference at the party’s headquarters today (Aug 15).
Five men believed to be debt collectors turned up at the parents’ house on Aug 11, where the mother-in-law, in her 50s, was home with her husband and the debtor’s grandparents, both above 80, and demanded the mother pay on her son’s behalf.
“Four men returned the next day and allegedly threatened to repossess the father-in-law’s car, house and belongings by force if the debt went unpaid,” Foo said.
Both in-laws lodged police reports, while the wife also made a report on Aug 11, fearing the men might target her own home where she lives with her children.
The family had shown Foo a loan agreement under Schedule J of the Moneylenders Act bearing the husband’s signature and thumbprint.
A payment voucher signed by the husband on April 17 stated the loan as RM120,000, though the family understood only about RM90,000 to RM91,000 was actually released, with the difference believed to be interest.
“The creditors or debt collection agencies must act in accordance with the Moneylenders Act 1951. They should resort to proper court proceedings to recover the alleged outstanding debt,” Foo said.
He warns that force, threats or harassment against a debtor or his family is an offence, and that non-guarantor family members cannot generally be held liable.
He also warned against illegal loan advertisements, including unlicensed roadside adverts and online offers on platforms such as Facebook.
Foo said the husband had since messaged his wife via WhatsApp to say he was safe but would not reveal his whereabouts, and urged him to return home and face his debts responsibly.
