BY: SARA ANUAR

Contrary to popular belief, if a person is in financial want or distress, borrowing from a loan shark or Ah Long should be furthest from his mind as to borrow will be like jumping from the fire into the frying pan.

Loan sharks or Ah Longs are not people who help and assist you to get out of trouble, instead they plunge you further and deeper into trouble and are usually on the hunt for vulnerable and weak individuals whom they can eventually control and manipulate.

Loan sharks or Ah Longs are ruthless and merciless because they actually have little interest in giving loans, their ultimate intention if possible is to control, manipulate and own the life of a borrower so they can make him or her a modern day slave.

There are many loan sharks and Ah Longs and their runners who are actively operating finance and credit companies in Malaysia and the authorities should regulate, monitor and supervise them to ensure they do genuine money lending.

In these financially hard times, people with no avenue to getting financial help are turning to these loan sharks and Ah Longs which is not a wise financial planning decision for their households and families.

The government must develop mechanisms that are practical and workable for people who need money to tide them over through bona fide means in order for borrowers to escape from the clutches of loan sharks and Ah Longs.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher