Monday January 29, 2007

Don’t borrow from loan sharks

By ANTHONY TAN

SAY No to Ah Long (loan sharks)! That will be the message at a public seminar to be held at the Desa Green community hall on Van Praagh Road (behind Heng Ee Secondary School) in Penang at 8pm on Feb 1.

Penang MCA Crisis Relief Squad (CRSM) chief Ooi Siaw Kok said the seminar, which would be conducted in Mandarin, was aimed at telling the public not to borrow from loan sharks because of the risks involved.

“There had been cases where borrowers had been beaten up or had their property damaged or destroyed while some victims had committed suicide,” he told a press conference at the Penang MCA headquarters in Jalan Pahang on Saturday. Also present was event organising chairman Hung Siat Hee, who is the Penang CRSM training chairman.

Ooi said the seminar was part of a nationwide roadshow by MCA to create public awareness on loan sharks. The first seminar was held in Kuala Lumpur last month.

The Penang seminar is the fifth and will feature three speakers – MCA Public Complaints and Bureau head Datuk Michael Chong, an officer from the Royal Malaysian Police’s Commercial Crime Department and a lawyer.

It is organised by the Penang CRSM, Desa Green Residents Association, Perak Road JKKK, Penang Teong Guan Association and China Press. It is open to the public with free entry.

Ooi invited loan shark victims to share their experience at the event which would be opened by Jawi assemblyman Tan Cheng Liang, who is the national CRSM deputy chief.

He said those who wish to do so should contact Penang MCA at 04-2267830

News

Monday January 29, 2007

Don’t borrow from loan sharks

By ANTHONY TAN