The menace of Ah Long's or loan sharks.

Loan sharking is very big business . Those syndicates can be very rich , powerful and well connected to the political system.

They can make big money and it is one of the fastest way to become super rich.It is an illegal business but which is hard to wipe out . Just like prostitution, drugs,guns, smuggling's and illegal casino's, they are the major earning arms of those triads or underworld gangs.

It is not without risks as borrowers can abscond without paying their loans or they can get killed from hired killers .There are some loan sharks which has been killed because of their activities or from other competitors.

Recent news about debtors being illegally detained ,chained, tortured and sometimes killed shows an escalating trend of those Ah long's tactics in recovering those money from those borrowers.

Before , it was just those threats of breaking an arm or a leg .Splashing of red paints on their properties are common. Some of them even harassed the neighbours or their relatives .Women and children can be victims as they have no choice to force those debtors to pay up .

You could report to the police but the police cannot protect you 24/7 . Alternatively , you could seek MCA's Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong if you live in Malaysia. He could try to meditate for a solution and solve your problem.

Some have no choice but to run and hide from those Ah Long's or work far far away in another state and never come back.


Reference and thanks to :-

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Crime/Story/A1Story20090528-144385.html

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Crime/Story/A1Story20090529-144634.html