PUBLISHED ONMay 27, 2024 6:24 AMByKhoo Yi-HangHe refused to cut his habits, so his family severed ties with him.
A single mum in Malaysia has put out ads and held a press conference to disown her debt-ridden son, The Star reported last Saturday (May 25).
"He would beg me for help each time and I always felt sorry for him," Chia Hui Chiang, 62, said at a media conference called by Johor MCA Youth public services and complaints bureau chief Henry Mok last Friday.
"I even used up my retirement savings and yet he is deep in his habits of gambling and drug abuse."
The retired teacher had reportedly given her 36-year-old son over RM100,000 (S$28,700) to pay off his debts.
She said her son left their home on May 21 and they've not heard from him since.
However, his absence was certainly felt. Chia said creditors harassed her and her family, demanding that they pay off his RM59,100 debt, which does not include interest.
Chia also put out an ad in a Chinese newspaper, letting the public — and loan sharks — know that she had cut ties with him, and to look for him directly for repayment.
Her daughter, Saw Shi Ling, told the media that her brother had worked in Singapore's logistics industry for the past four years, but lost his job two weeks ago.
The 38-year-old said: "He stayed in his room all the time. When we confronted him, he told us he was in financial trouble.
"He also revealed that he borrowed money from at least 28 ah long (loan sharks)."
She added that her family had been harassed by loan sharks before in the past — they splashed red paint and flung Molotov cocktails at their homes.
“Cutting ties with my brother was not an easy decision for us to make, but we have had enough and are worried about our safety.
"After he ran away, loan sharks have been calling and sending us messages day and night," Saw added.
"Some of them also compiled photos of my family and relatives, and posted them on social media claiming that we owed them money."
Johor Bahru Selatan assistant commissioner Raub Selamat told The Star that he would look into the matter.
Saw also revealed that her brother had dropped out from secondary school around the age of 14, China Press reported.
He started working and made friends who had a bad influence on him.
Her brother was only financially stable when he was dating for a period of seven years, Saw said.
However, the relationship fell apart when he gambled away his marriage savings.
Chia isn't the only mother who had her hand forced recently.
Lim Sook Fun, 64, also announced that she would disown her son after the 40-year-old had racked up a gambling debt of more than RM70,000, The Star reported in April.
“I am an old woman living off my retirement funds. I don’t have much to spare. I have given him so many chances but yet he refuses to change,” said Lim, breaking down during a press conference.
She and her two younger sons had been approached by loan sharks who were looking to collect her eldest son's debts, she said.
Lim added: “I don’t even know how much he owes. There could even be multiple groups that he had borrowed from."
ALSO READ: Despite repaying over $15,000 for $300 debt, Malaysian family still hounded by loan sharks
khooyihang@asiaone.com
