Loansharks, beware of Madam Ng

Loansharks, beware of Madam Ng


[Photo: Madam Ng Ong Ah kept her door open till 1am to look out for loansharks harassing her neighbour in Ang Mo Kio, so that she could report them to the police.]

By DEWI SRIWAHYUTO
Fri, May 15, 2009
my paper

WHEN one of her neighbours was harassed by loansharks, an elderly woman kept vigil over her neighbour's apartment till the wee hours, hoping to see the culprits in action.

Madam Ng Ong Ah, 62, may come off as a little too inquisitive to some of her neighbours living in the same Ang Mo Kio block as her, but this mother of three means well.

She told my paper: "If we can help people, we help. No matter their race or age, they're human beings like you. You never know, but you might need their help one day."

When the loansharks went manic a few nights in a row, splashing paint along corridors, banging a debtor's door and scribbling threats on the walls because they could not recover the money owed, fellow neighbours made it a point to close and lock their doors by 10pm out of fear and as an extra precaution.

However, Madam Ng kept hers open till 1am, the time when her husband would get back from his job with SBS Transit.

While waiting for her husband, she would constantly keep a lookout for the loansharks, hoping to see them so she could help her neighbour identify and report them to the police.

The petite woman could have suffered a few dislocations if the loansharks were to simply shove her.

However, she never thought about her safety. Foolhardy? No, she just wanted to put an end to her neighbour's worries and fears, she said.

Madam Ng, who used to teach at St Margaret?s Secondary School, said: "I have a big family to back me up and my children know taekwon-do."

She often goes out on a limb to help others but admitted that others have taken advantage of her in the past.

"I loaned a few thousand dollars to some people when they were really in need but they never paid me back. I don't hold grudges though. I just pray and let the river take my anger away," she said.

A former Chong Boon Community Centre member,Madam Ng would bring up complaints from neighbours and the community at meetings, hoping for solutions.

"I will listen to people's problems and let the MP address it so that those problems can be solved and everyone will be happy," she said.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090515-141577.html