Published: Saturday August 3, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Saturday August 3, 2013 MYT 7:32:20 AM
I am now in hell, says man who borrowed RM3,000
BY NICHOLAS CHENG
KUALA LUMPUR: A man suffering from financial difficulties was stripped naked and photographed by loan sharks, who are threatening to publish them if he fails to pay up.
The father of three from Cheras, who only wants to be known as Manoharan, said hard times at work forced him to take a RM3,000 loan in March to support his children’s university studies.
The 49-year-old said he paid back RM2,500 in May, but claimed that the loan sharks were still hounding him for the full amount, citing interest.
“When I couldn’t, two of them invited me out to talk it over drinks,” said Manoharan.
“They drove me to a vacant shoplot and threatened me with batons and asked me to strip,” he said.
“I was afraid but I was more fearful of what they might do to my family, so I did it.
“They made me lean against the car and snapped three pictures,” said the employee of a multinational company.
“This is the first time that I’ve borrowed money. I would have never done this, but I was stuck.
“When my wife found out about the pictures she couldn’t react at all. I regret taking it (the loan), now I’m in hell,” Manoharan said during a press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department here yesterday.
Department chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong said Manoharan had also taken loans from two other loan sharks in the past but had settled them with his help.
Chong said loan shark cases were getting out of hand. “I advise people to think carefully before borrowing from them,” he said, adding that Manoharan had lodged a police report over the matter.
According to Chong, the department had received 336 complaints related to ah long, with loans amounting to over RM30mil this year.
