KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 16, 2009) : The number of loan shark cases being brought up to the MCA Complaints Bureau has declined dramatically since a campaign to stop the menance was launched earlier this year by the Home Ministry.

Michael Chong

"The number of 'Ah-Long' cases is getting fewer, with the highest number of cases in a month being the 84 that we received in April," said Bureau chief Datuk Michael Chong.

"In May, there were 60 cases, but after Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein as Home Minister, launched an all-out war against loan sharks, the number of cases began to drop," Chong told a press conference where he presented detailed statistics of the decline in cases.

There were 38 cases in July, 29 in August and only 20 in September, he said, adding that the decline was also reflected on a year-by-year basis.

"Last month, we only had 19 cases, and so far up until today, we only have 11 cases," added Chong.

"There has been a reduction in the cases reported to us. In 2007, we had 539 reported cases, and 636 in 2008. And now, up to today, we have only 450 cases reported to us, involving RM29 million," said Chong.

However, he cautioned that not all borrowers are innocent victims.

"We have also come across borrowers who are also con-men. They borrow from all places, and after borrowing, they lodge a police report when they cannot pay," said Chong.

"There are some borrowers like this, so don't think all borrowers are victims. Out of the 450 cases, 80% have confessed to me that they are involved in gambling," said Chong who related the story of a recent loan shark "victim".

"He is a 25 employee at a car accessory shop, who ran into financial difficulty in September and took a RM1,000 loan from loan sharks," Chong said.

However, he delayed payments and despite his father helping him to pay up RM5,000, the loan shark is now demanding RM80,000 as accummulated interest due.

Chong also disclosed a new tactic used by loan sharks to shame victims into paying up - using social networking utility Facebook to upload photos of the borrower.

"Datuk Hishamuddin has said that he cannot tolerate it when loan sharks harass and threaten borrowers' family.

"The victim has lodged a report, and I have brought it up to the Selangor police chief, who promised that action will be taken," added Chong.