Bail Out by Ah Long

KUALA LUMPUR: Illegal money-lenders have expanded their activities to the courts by offering bail to people charged with criminal offences.
Court officials claimed that they have received information on their activities. The moneylenders either acted as professional bailors or
loaned money to people who needed it to post bail.

Notices have been put up at court premises to advise the public not to be deceived by these moneylenders.

“All court directors in Peninsular Malaysia have received a directive dated Aug 25 from the registrar to put up the notices,” Kuala Lumpur Court director Azizah Mahamud said.

The notices reminded the public that unlicensed money-lending was illegal.
“The public is also reminded to be wary as the court has never appointed any agents or individuals to settle any cases on the court’s behalf.

“If there are any offers of such services from Ah Long or touts, a report can be lodged with either the court or the police,” she said. Sources highlighted a recent case where two “professional bailors” stood surety for a foreigner in a
criminal case in the Sessions Court at Jalan Duta, here. The court was later informed by the “bailors” that the accused had absconded and that they wanted their money back.

“The judge forfeited the bail money and also disallowed the two bailors from standing bail in a different case,” the source said. Acting Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Datuk Nooryah Md Anvar said she
had not received any reports on the matter.

“To my knowledge, no such reports have been lodged with the police on the loan sharks’ activities in the court premises,” she told the New Straits Times.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau head Datuk Michael Chong also said he had not received any such reports from the public.

“However, when people are desperate, they will do anything including borrowing money from loan sharks,” he said.