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Economy

Family cuts ties with son after RM16,000 scam and loan-shark harassment

A 61-year-old fruit-stall worker and his family have publicly severed ties with his 29-year-old son after discovering he invented emergencies to extract RM16,000 and dragged them into loan-shark harassment they can no longer afford.

Source: The Rakyat Post · August 22, 2026 at 5:25 AM · AI-assisted report

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Family cuts ties with son after RM16,000 scam and loan-shark harassment
Photo: Conny Sandland via flickr (BY)

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 AUGUST 2026 —

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A 61-year-old fruit-stall worker and his family have publicly severed ties with his 29-year-old son after discovering he invented emergencies to extract RM16,000 and dragged them into loan-shark harassment they can no longer afford.

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Chan, the father, held a press conference in Johor Bahru yesterday alongside his 31-year-old daughter and DAP officials Lee Wern Ying and Mok Meng Haw. They said the requests began in October 2023 with RM4,000 for an unspecified emergency, followed by RM5,000 after a claimed drink-driving arrest and RM7,000 for a fine over two packets of cigarettes smuggled into Singapore.

The family later learned Chan Si Yao had a gambling problem. When loan sharks contacted them in May, he owed between RM13,000 and RM15,000. The family repaid the full amount by June.

He was also caught up in an online loan scam: RM1,000 was deposited into his account without consent and he was pressured to repay it. The family has not heard from him since 3 August, when he said he was going for a job interview in Singapore.

From 10 August, his father, mother, sister and younger sister received up to two calls and WhatsApp messages daily from loan sharks. The sister said they were added to a WhatsApp group that displayed intimidating videos and photos and warned that if Chan Si Yao did not appear, the loan sharks would visit the family home and harass neighbours.

“We didn’t dare open the videos,” she said. “We don’t even know how much he owes this time.”

On 17 August at about 2 p.m., a debt notice bearing Chan Si Yao’s name was pasted on the family’s gate. Despite living in a gated community, the loan sharks gained access through another resident’s entry point.

Chan said he and his wife are elderly and have depleted their savings settling earlier debts. They have no further means to pay. The family filed a police report and used the press conference to disown Chan Si Yao.

Lee, Johor DAP Youth chief, called on loan sharks to stop harassing the family since they can no longer repay. Mok, Johor Jaya DAP branch chairman, said pasting notices already breaks the law and that the family’s disownment removes any grounds for further targeting.

Related: Lee Wern Ying · Kuala Lumpur

Reporting based on The Rakyat Post. Figures and claims are subject to revision as the story develops. DomainFork publishes editorial context, not investment advice — see our editorial standards.