COULDN’T agree more with Terence’s “Putting the cart before the horse” ( Down2Earth, June 10). Prices are rising. Rice, fuel and soon electricity tariffs. The impact is tremendous.

Even before the rising prices and cost of living, our belts were already tightened to a squeeze. What now? Stop living? We are not the “hardcore poor”. Our life is in a financial and emotional mess. I am too timid to stand up, too ashamed to cry and too confused to decide what to do next. Just when we were beginning to see some light at the end of a long tunnel, we were once again dropped with a bombshell dimming the slightest glimpse of hope.

My husband and I are currently earning a combined income of aproximately RM3,000 per month but we are still struggling, putting up with the banks and the rude debt collection agents while going through other challenges of our daily lives.

We were surviving on a single income since 1996. Between January and April 2007 we faced a downturn in our business venture run by my husband (with me as partner). We lost everything except one another and our faith in God.

Our household returned to a dual income mode and we are doing our best to clear our debts. We visited a Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency in February but the counsellor was unable to help much.

I can’t bear the intimidation and obnoxious remarks from the debt collection agents who seem too desperate for their commission. They will do anything to get what they want. They would go to such trouble screening the telcos and harassing my office mates for my mobile number when they fail to get me when I was not in the office. Once, a colleague told me that he was “interrogated” by someone who asked why I was on leave and so on. The caller kept on pressing for my handphone number saying that it is impossible that I do not have a mobile phone. Any attempt to reason out with them was futile. I was hoping for some empathy but I was chided with remarks like “tak boleh bayar ke tak nak bayar?” , (cannot pay or do not wish to pay?).

One agent’s ridicule and insinuation was really hard to forget. He said he will sing me a tune which he called “Lagu Kutip Hutang” (Song of the Creditor) day after day until I pay up. He went on to say that he can sing better than Mawi and will continue to “serenade” me until my debt is cleared. Thus, I hereby wish to beg the Malaysian MPs, the relevant NGOs, Ministries and Authorities to look into our plight. I believe, I am not the only person suffering from this harassment and hardship. I believe, I have the right as Malaysian citizen to live free from such threat and mental torture. Please do something to curb this rampant menace as many Malaysians like me are suffering in silent.

Each time the neighbours open or closed their gates, my children turn breathless.

The rising costs just make matters worst and leave us at wit’s end. Keeping myself together is already difficult as it is. Just imagine what a challenging task it is to keep the family together in?this turmoil. God help us.

DSZ
Ipoh

Source: The Sun – June 26, 2008