Malaysians are shocked today by more evidence that Malaysia is taking on the characteristics of a failed state, when they read reports and see photos of “Loan shark’s hellhole torture for defaulters”, with men chained like dogs, beaten and forced to survive on water and bread for months on end, the horrific treatment inflicted by loan sharks on their debtors.

The discovery of such hell-hole came to light when police rescued three men who were held in an unoccupied shoplot in Seri Kembangan, near Kuala Lumpur, for two months as they could not pay their loans which ranged from RM1,500 to RM4,000.

A police party raided the shoplot yesterday afternoon and found the three men tied to the wall with heavy chains.

The victims, aged 25, 34 and 49, were abducted from Segambut, Semenyih and Gombak.

As Gombak police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rahim Abdullah described it:

“The victims were very weak. They were wearing the same clothes they had on for the past two months and had been beaten regularly with sticks.

“The loan sharks contacted the victims’ families and demanded they settle the loans if they wanted to see their loved ones again.”

The families could not raise the money but did not seek police help.

Rahim said the victims were imprisoned in two makeshift six-by-seven metre cells, each with an open toilet. They were chained at their necks and feet to a wall.

Firemen used an electric chainsaw to cut through the 6kg chains.

The captives sobbed uncontrollably when they saw the rescue party.

He said they were only given five slices of bread every few days and water from a small tap connected to their cells.

“If we made noise, we would be kicked and beaten.”

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