By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Aug 15: A mother of two in her 30s has pleaded for her husband to return home and urged creditors to stop harassing her family over his RM120,000 debt.
The woman, who has children aged 12 and 10, said her husband left their home on Aug 7 and did not return.
She tried calling and messaging him but received no response. She later contacted his father, who told her that the man had also failed to turn up for work at the family business.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) chief Milton Foo, who spoke at a press conference today alongside the woman, said she later discovered that her husband’s luggage and some clothes were missing.
“She also found a handwritten letter in Chinese addressed to his parents, in which he apologised and said he had borrowed money from Ah Long and could no longer afford to repay it,” he said.
According to the woman, five men later went to the husband’s parents’ house on Aug 11 to demand repayment. The following day, four men returned and allegedly threatened to repossess the family’s car, house and other belongings by force if the debt was not paid.
The husband’s parents lodged police reports, while the woman also made a report over fears that the debt collectors would come to her home and threaten her and her children.
The woman said her husband eventually contacted her through WhatsApp after she lodged the police report, telling her that he was safe but refusing to reveal his whereabouts.
She used the press conference to appeal to him to return home and not do anything rash, saying the debt could be settled through proper legal channels.
Foo said the RM120,000 debt was understood to involve a loan agreement without guarantor signed by the husband.
He urged the creditors to use legal channels to recover the debt instead of threatening or harassing the family.
“Creditors or debt collection agencies must act in accordance with the Moneylenders Act 1951. They must resort to proper court proceedings for the recovery of debts,” he said.
He added that creditors could sue debtors and seek court orders to recover outstanding debts, adding that harassment and threats were not lawful methods of debt collection.
“It is an offence to use forceful means to collect debts. Creditors have legal avenues to recover debts, including filing a suit in court and seeking enforcement orders where appropriate. These could include a writ of seizure and sale or an order for the sale of property, depending on the circumstances, while vehicle financing would be governed by the relevant hire-purchase provisions,” he explained.
Foo also appealed directly to the missing husband to return home and take responsibility for resolving his financial problems.
“Bearing in mind that he has two young children at home waiting for his safe return. Don’t leave this mess to the wife or the parents,” he said.
Foo also warned members of the public about illegal moneylending advertisements, including those placed along roadsides and on social media.
He said borrowers could also risk falling victim to scams disguised as online loans, where an individual is given a certain amount of money before being pressured to repay a substantially larger sum.
“We are living in a lawful society with rules and regulations, not a lawless society. It is a criminal offence to harass and threaten,” he said. — DayakDaily
