Tuesday November 9, 2010
Painter pays price for nephew’s debt
KUALA LUMPUR: A house painter is being hounded by Ah Long for a loan believed to have been taken by his nephew. The man, his wife and children even had their house set on fire by the Ah Long.
Wong Foo Chin, 58, who lives in Desa Rasah, Seremban, said he woke up at 1.30am to find the front and back portion of his house on fire, his house and car splashed with red paint and the rear windscreen of his son’s car smashed.
“They have destroyed our property and attempted to take our lives,” said a distraught Wong at a press conference yesterday.
Safety at stake: Chong showing photographs of what the Ah Long had done to the house and car belonging to Wong (standing, centre) at the press conference yesterday.
With them are other family members who are affected, too. Wong, a father of four, believes that the incident, which occurred on Oct 27, is connected to his nephew, Lim Jack Son, 27, who had borrowed money from 12 loan sharks. He has not been seen for the past three months and is believed to have left the country. MCA Public Complaints Bureau head Datuk Michael Chong said this was the worst case so far.
“They have attempted to kill this family,” said Chong, adding that he was very unhappy with the police as the victims had lodged two reports but no statements were taken by the investigating officer. “This is the second time they have been attacked. Their lives are in danger,” said Chong. The first attack took place on Oct 17 when Wong found his house and car splashed with red paint. Lim’s parents, who live next door to Wong, have also been continuously harassed by loan sharks.
“My son gave one of these loan sharks a photocopy of my identity card and asked them to recover the money from me,” said Lim’s mother Chong Shue Koon, 60. She said her son had left her and her husband Lim Loi, 58, a note saying that he owed loan sharks RM170,000, and that he was leaving. Lim Loi said his son, who works as a bank clerk in Kuala Lumpur, had developed an addiction to gambling last year.
