M’sian family allegedly harassed by moneylender from S’pore, JB home set on fire and 11 family members threatened
A Malaysian man who took up a low-interest loan offer from a moneylender allegedly had his house set on fire on two consecutive days by suspects believed to be from Singapore, who also threatened to kill his relatives.
Zheng Xingyan’s (transliteration) landed property was attacked with Molotov cocktails on May 8 and 9, with the blaze affecting three neighbouring homes as well.
The 48-year-old, who worked in Singapore, revealed in a press conference on May 10 that he came across a listing offering loan services with low-interest rates.
He intended to borrow S$50,000 to fund his children’s university education and house renovations, paying back S$1,000 every month over five years. To apply for the loan, Mr Zheng handed over his identity card and bank details.
However, the company reportedly demanded a daily payment of S$500 for five consecutive days as a “processing fee” before disbursing the loan, Malaysian Chinese news outlet China Press reported.
“I began suspecting I was getting scammed, so I requested to cancel the loan,” Mr Zheng said.
The moneylender then asked the 48-year-old to pay S$1,500 as a cancellation fee, but transferred S$400 to his bank account on the same day and demanded “interest”.
To settle the issue amicably, Mr Zheng proposed to transfer S$600, but ended up receiving another sum from the loan company on the same day.
Unable to bear the harassment any longer, Mr Zheng started ignoring text messages and calls from the company. Seemingly angered, the moneylenders allegedly called Mr Zheng 200 to 300 times a day, using four local numbers.
A photo shared by China Post showed someone sending a photo of a gun on WhatsApp, claiming Mr Zheng’s family “will eat bullets” if he did not respond to calls and messages.
The moneylenders also somehow obtained the personal information and contact details of Mr Zheng’s 11 family members, sending them threatening WhatsApp messages. One read: “If you don’t reply my messages, I will collect your family members’ lives one by one.”
House allegedly set on fire by loan sharks from Singapore
Mr Zheng’s house in Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru, was then set on fire on May 8 and 9.
In a video shared by tabloid news site Johor Circle, Mr Zheng revealed that his house was first set on fire at about 1.43am on May 8, and the family of three escaped through the back door. When confronted, the loan shark apparently told Mr Zheng that his house was set on fire as he did not reply to messages. A few hours later at noon, the moneylender demanded another S$30,000.
Mr Zheng’s daughter also received a video of her house on fire, with the moneylenders claiming they were considering targeting her residence in the town of Karak. The residence of Mr Zheng’s older sister was allegedly also set on fire.
A message received by one of Mr Zheng’s family members even read: “Brother, your mum is so old, 85 years old already. If we go there and burn, even if she doesn’t burn to death, she will die from a heart attack.”
Increased security around Mr Zheng’s residence
In a Facebook post shared on May 10, Perling assemblyman Liew Chin Tong said the culprits were believed to be from an “ah long syndicate in Singapore”.
Photos attached to the post show several cars damaged in the fire. Police have since increased the frequency of patrols in the area, Liew added.
According to Malaysian news outlet New Straits Times, police have confirmed that the case is being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act for unlicensed money lending and Section 435 of the Penal Code, which criminalises mischief by fire.
An offender of the Moneylenders Act may face up to 5 years’ jail and a fine of between RM250,000 (S$80,941) to RM1,000,000. Mischief by fire is punishable by imprisonment of up to fourteen years and a possible fine.
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
