KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Muslim Consumers Association (PPIK) has, since a month ago, received 280 reports on borrowers who took loans from ah long or loan sharks having problems making their repayment.

       Its president Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Fared Abdul Ghani said it indicated the increase in the number of people going to illegal money lenders due to life pressures.

       He said the easily-available contact numbers of the money lenders, which can be seen pasted at bus-stops and on electric poles, provided a shortcut for those desperate for cash.

       “On average, we receive almost 10 reports a day from borrowers who say they cannot pay the money lenders. Some borrowers included Form Five students,” he noted.

       He said some of the borrowers had been threatened and had their house splashed with red paint for failing to pay the loans.

       Asked to elaborate on the case of the students, he said that one of them borrowed to pay online gambling debts.

       The loan was only for RM1,000 but it has spiralled to RM5,000, he told reporters after handing over three tonnes of mineral water to frontliners in Kelantan to Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital (HPRZ II) director Datuk Dr Selasawati Ghazali yesterday. — Bernama