KUALA LUMPUR: Last year, Aliff and his sister borrowed RM300 from money lenders to settle their father’s debts, but little did they know that the small loan would bring them a year of suffering.
They have already made repayments totalling RM34,000 but the loan sharks, or Ah Longs, still want to squeeze RM11,000 out of Aliff (not his real name).
He is now living on the run to escape the Ah Longs’ torments – but pictures of him and his family have gone viral online after his phone was hacked. Members of the public are being asked to “beat them up for failing to pay off their debts”.
Aliff’s suffering began when he tried to get an immediate loan to help his father, who fell victim to a scam. He was also unemployed at the time, forcing him to turn to moneylenders.
“I just borrowed RM300. My dad asked for my help, but I wasn’t working at the time because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
“My friends suggested this phone app through which I could submit a loan application. I had to give a copy of my identification card and a video of me saying I borrowed money through the app. That’s all. I got the money immediately,” he told FMT.
However, instead of the RM300 he was promised, Aliff only received RM150 and was required to pay back RM300 within a seven-day period. He could not afford to do so, and…
