Debt collectors or Ah Long are threatening me and my family. What can I do?

Threatening messages, red paint on the gate, photos of your children sent to your phone, or strangers waiting outside your office: this is how illegal moneylenders, often called Ah Long, and some aggressive debt collectors try to force payment. It is frightening, but the law gives you real protection. Owing money, or being said to owe money, never gives anyone the right to threaten you or your family.

Is it a crime to threaten someone over a debt?

Yes, it can be, even if the debt is genuine. The main offences under the Penal Code are:

• Criminal intimidation (s.503): threatening a person with injury to his person, reputation or property, or to the person or reputation of someone he is interested in (such as a family member), with intent to cause alarm or to make him do something he is not legally bound to do, or stop doing something he is entitled to do. It is punished under s.506, with a heavier range where the threat is to cause death or grievous hurt or to set fire to property.
• Anonymous threats (s.507): criminal intimidation by anonymous communication, or where the person hides where the threat came from, carries additional punishment. Threats from unknown numbers or fake accounts may fall here.
• Extortion (s.383): intentionally putting a person in fear of injury to himself or another, and so dishonestly inducing him to hand over money or property.
• Mischief and trespass: splashing paint, damaging a car or a gate, or entering property to intimidate can amount to mischief or criminal trespass under the Penal Code.

The punishments depend on the charge and the facts. The Penal Code has been amended several times, so the current text should be checked for the exact penalties.

Have a question about your own situation? Ask on WhatsApp

Threats by phone, WhatsApp or social media

Threatening or harassing messages sent through a phone, messaging app or social media can also be an offence of improper use of network facilities or services under section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The section has been amended, so the current wording should be checked. Posting your photo, identity card or address online with threats or insults can also give rise to other offences and civil claims.

What the Moneylenders Act 1951 says

• Unlicensed lenders: no one may carry on the business of moneylending without a licence (s.5). A moneylending agreement made by an unlicensed moneylender is unenforceable (s.15). This means an Ah Long cannot use the court to recover the loan.
• Interest limits: under the AGC text of the Act, interest on a licensed loan must not exceed 12% a year for a secured loan and 18% a year for an unsecured loan, and an agreement that charges more is void (s.17A). Check the current text for any later changes.
• Harassment of borrowers (s.29B): it is an offence for a moneylender, personally or through someone acting for him, to harass or intimidate a borrower, the borrower's family or anyone connected with the borrower, or to watch or beset the borrower's home, workplace or the place where wages are received. Persons acting for the moneylender also commit an offence, and causing hurt makes it more serious. Harassment includes statements, sounds, gestures, showing objects and intruding on privacy (s.29B(4)). The penalties include substantial fines or imprisonment, and repeat offenders can face whipping.

A licensed moneylender, a bank or a lawful debt collector may still ask you to pay and may sue you. What they may not do is threaten, shame or harass you or your family.

What should I do first?

1. Make sure everyone is safe. If there is immediate danger, call the police emergency line straight away.
2. Do not delete anything. Screenshot messages with the phone number and time visible, save voice notes, keep call logs and take photos or videos of any paint, damage or notes left at your home.
3. Make a police report at the nearest police station as soon as possible. Give the numbers, names, account details and photos you have. Ask for a copy of the report.
4. Tell your family and employer what is happening, so that they do not pay or hand over information to callers, and can record any further contact.
5. Do not borrow from another Ah Long to pay the first. This usually makes things worse.
6. Get advice on the debt itself: whether the lender is licensed, how much is truly owed, and whether there are lawful ways to settle, restructure or defend a claim.

Example

A shopkeeper borrowed RM5,000 from a lender who advertised on WhatsApp. After a few weeks the lender claimed RM15,000, sent photos of the shopkeeper's house and his daughter's school, and later splashed red paint on his gate. He saved every message, lodged a police report with the photos, and gave the police the bank account he had been told to pay into. Because the lender was not licensed, the loan agreement could not be enforced in court, and the threats and paint splashing were matters for the police.

Common mistakes

• Paying more and more in the hope that the threats will stop.
• Deleting threatening messages out of fear or embarrassment, which destroys the evidence.
• Not making a police report because the borrower feels responsible for the debt.
• Assuming a licensed lender or bank can do anything to collect. They must still act lawfully.
• Retaliating with threats or violence, which can lead to charges against the borrower.

When to speak to a lawyer

Speak to a lawyer if the threats continue after a police report, if you are being sued or served with papers for the debt, if a bankruptcy notice is threatened, or if you have been accused of an offence yourself. See our criminal defence and civil litigation pages; you can also contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still have to repay an Ah Long?

A moneylending agreement by an unlicensed moneylender is unenforceable under section 15 of the Moneylenders Act 1951, so the lender cannot sue on it. Whether any money should be returned on other grounds depends on the facts, so get advice on your situation.

The caller says he is from a debt collection agency for my bank. Can he threaten me?

No. A bank or its agent may ask for payment and may take legal action, but threats of harm, shaming you to neighbours or employers, or harassing your family can still be offences under the Penal Code.

Can I get protection for my family?

Make a police report and keep records of every new incident. Depending on the facts, a lawyer can advise whether a civil claim or an injunction is possible against an identified person.

What if they post my photo or IC online?

Save the post, the link and the account details, report it to the platform, and include it in your police report. It may be an offence and may also support a civil claim.

Sources & fact check

Legal points in this article were checked against the primary sources below. The law can change; this is general information, not legal advice.

1. Penal Code (Act 574), Attorney General's Chambers Laws of Malaysia
2. Moneylenders Act 1951 (Act 400), AGC Laws of Malaysia
3. Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), AGC Laws of Malaysia
4. Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), official portal

Fact-checked on 18 Oct 2026