Women tell of abusive gambler husband and father

[hokkien]

Wednesday, Nov 21, 2012
GEORGE TOWN - A gambler would turn violent against the women around him every time he lost money, claim two women who have had to live with him for years.

"My father would punch me in the face after losing on a horse race," alleged the 22-year-old woman, adding that her father had been doing so since she was young.

Eventually, her mother decided to run away with her.

The 41-year-old mother, who works as a babysitter, said: "He started abusing us in 2000. We decided to run away in 2007 to stay with my mother."

Another younger daughter stayed behind "as I do not have the financial capacity", the mother said at the state MCA headquarters here yesterday.

As it turned out, the girl who is now 13 years old has been traumatised following alleged abuse by her father for the past three years.

She had bruises, believed to be due to repeated kicks and punches.

She reached out on Nov 5 to her older sister who made arrangements to fetch her from school the next day.

All three of them were at a press conference yesterday but the teenage girl shied away from the cameras.

The mother has subsequently lodged three police reports against her 45-year-old husband.

Apparently, the man and his girlfriend had been harassing them through numerous phone calls, asking them to return the 13-year-old.

The family approached the state MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau on Nov 9 for help.

In Kuala Lumpur, two fathers and a mother spoke about being harassed by loan sharks after their gambler sons disappeared.

Mechanic Siow Kah Yeow, 60, said his eldest son Siow Fong Loong, 36, had borrowed money from loan sharks several times with the recent loan amounting to RM9,600 (S$3,800).

"My son has disappeared since Sept 10," he said.

On Nov 1, his house and car were splashed with red paint, he added.

Hawker Wong Chew Fun, 50, said her eldest son Ung Han Foo, 33, left home on Oct 1 and she suspected he could have owed loan sharks up to RM100,000.

On Oct 2, five loan sharks came to her house and asked for Ung. Three days later, her house was splashed with red paint.

Driver Tham Kok On, 60, said his son Betram Tham Hou Yin, 33, had borrowed from loan sharks and that he had paid RM70,000 to clear the debts. His son ran away in August.