KUALA LUMPUR: A 28-year-old woman is living in fear after being hounded by loansharks from Singapore who had twice set fire to her Karak home in Pahang on Sept 11 and 15 to chase debts her husband owes them.
The loansharks had also threatened to 'claim' the lives of her two children, aged four and five, if she refused to repay the debts.
The woman, who wanted to be known only as Chong, said her nightmare began when she was contacted by a person who claimed to be a loanshark from Singapore on Sept 7.
The loanshark had informed the woman that her 29–year-old husband, known only as Kwan, had borrowed money from them.
"I contacted my husband who works in Singapore as a chef for the past two years to ascertain the matter.
"My husband said he had clicked on a money lenders company's link on social media to borrow S$10,000 in May but he had cancelled the application," she said.
However, she said the loanshark was dissatisfied and insisted a payment of S$2,000 (RM6,800) to be paid up for cancelling the application.
The woman, who was at her wits end, sought the help with the MCA Public Services and Complaints bureau head Datuk Seri Michael Chong at Wisma MCA, here, recently.
Chong said the syndicate claims that it had transferred S$300 (RM1,020) into Kwan's account although he he had not received any money.
The woman said her husband banked in S$200 (RM680) in the account as ordered by the loanshark but demanded for more.
"After setting our house compound on fire, the loanshark demanded S$3,000 (RM1,020) as 'fees' for the person who was hired to set the house on fire," she said.
Her fears, she said, had driven her to quit her job as a clerk after the two fire incidences which occurred just days apart.
She said her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were also harassed by the loanshark, who used various handphone numbers to call them, including Singapore phone lines.
"We are living in terror and I dare not send my children to school for fear of their safety after the loansharks said they will take away my children," she said, adding three police reports had been lodged.
Her husband had also lodged a similar report in Singapore and he had quit his job to return to Malaysia to be with the family.