Love can be a risky affair, as proven by a 15-year-old boy from Selangor who took a dangerous route to fulfill his girlfriend's craving for ikan siakap tiga rasa (barramundi in sweet, sour, and spicy sauce). The teenager resorted to borrowing money from illegal moneylenders, commonly known as Ah Longs, and found himself in financial ruin, according to a report by Malay daily Kosmo.
This case was one of many handled by Operasi Darul Muttaqim (DM), an organization established in 2022 to help individuals aged 15 and above caught in predicaments involving loan sharks and unlicensed moneylending scams.
Fariz Izhar Adrus, the manager of DM Fardu Ain and Al-Quran Studies Centre, revealed that the boy eventually accumulated debts from 12 different Ah Longs, totaling RM13,000. The debt became so overwhelming that the teenager dropped out of school and moved in with his uncle.
"The teenager came across an advertisement for an Ah Long on TikTok after his girlfriend craved ikan siakap," Fariz explained. "He may have felt too embarrassed to ask his parents for money, so he turned to the loan sharks instead."
Despite his parents being civil servants, the teenager kept the issue hidden from them. The matter only came to light when he sought assistance from DM, who then informed his parents about the dire situation.
Fariz noted that this case is far from isolated. Over the past three years, DM has resolved more than 3,700 cases involving individuals aged 15 to 60 who were trapped in debt with Ah Longs. Many of these cases have exposed shocking and heartbreaking consequences.
Among the cases reported to DM were those involving women who were forced into desperate situations, including being coerced to give up their newborns to settle debts.
Datuk Mohd Zaki Zainol, DM's general manager, detailed other troubling trends. Many women borrowed money from Ah Longs to support their families, covering expenses like groceries, bills, and business debts. However, some fell prey to scams or turned to moneylenders for illicit reasons, such as gambling or drug use.
"Some women compromised their dignity to waive interest charges as low as RM200 out of shame for admitting their debts to their families," he said. "In extreme cases, mothers agreed to surrender their unborn babies as collateral for their loans. After hospital procedures, the babies are handed over, and the parents never learn what becomes of them."
DM reports receiving an average of 50 cases daily involving individuals struggling with Ah Long debts, with women making up 40 of those cases.
The shocking stories highlighted by DM underline the urgent need for greater awareness about the dangers of borrowing from illegal moneylenders. The teenager's case and others like it to serve as stark reminders of how quickly financial recklessness can spiral into personal tragedy.
Organizations like DM are critical in offering a lifeline to individuals trapped in such predicaments. Their work ensures that those caught in the grip of loan sharks can find a way out, while their stories caution others to avoid falling into the same trap.
Source: Kosmo
