A number of such funerals have been reported by victims, said Datuk Seri Michael Chong, head of the Malaysian Chinese Association Public Services and Complaints Department, at a recent conference.
Among them was Tan, who saw a portrait of himself on June 26 displayed in a mock funeral on Facebook, he said, as reported by The Star.
The picture caused confusion to Tan, who in February borrowed RM10,000 (US$2,340) from a loan shark for his business and had paid 60% of the sum so far. Hosting funerals for the living are also taboo for Chinese people.
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This photo illustration shows Malaysian ringgit banknotes in Kuala Lumpur on June 29, 2015. Photo by AFP |
Previously he had taken five different loans totaling RM50,000, all of which had been settled.
“This kind of intimidation shows how low they can go. They are using psychological fear against borrowers,” Chong said.
Chong also mentioned Chan, who faces relentless payment demands from a suspected intermediary who is paid to harass debtors.
Chan had borrowed from nine loan sharks, settling two independently and paying MYR4,800 of the remaining MYR12,500 owed to seven others.
“We have a duty to expose such individuals because some of these money lenders are legitimate,” Chong said.
Another real victim is Kuek Bee Bee, 63, who is threatened by loan sharks for a debt of her 37-year-old son.
Kuek paid MYR13,000 of the debts in May 2025, but her son borrowed more. The illegitimate creditors do now know his whereabouts since he left.
The family was even locked out of their home with an iron chain and padlock with a note instructing them to contact several numbers.
As of June, the Malaysian Chinese Association Public Services and Complaints Department recorded 165 loan shark-related cases involving MYR18.6 million, with over 85% from the Chinese community, Chong noted.
Ivan Tan, the bureau’s deputy chief, emphasized the need for stricter laws to tackle the loan shark issue.
Chong also urged the public to stay away from unlicensed moneylenders, especially those advertising online or on social media, stressing that these are not moneylenders but criminal extortionists, as reported by The New Straits Times.
In March a debtor’s Mercedes-Benz was torched after he was dragged into debt due to his cousin.
“Please don’t be tempted by promises of fast cash. These syndicates are violent, merciless, and they will target your family, your property, even your life if you don’t follow their demands,” he warned.
