JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A family of seven enjoying time together got a rude shock when they heard an explosion outside their house in Taman Setia Indah in Johor Baru.

A housewife, who identified herself only as Chook, 30, said they rushed out and found the front of her car, which was parked outside, on fire.

She said the incident happened at about 9pm last Wednesday (Nov 25).

"At first I thought there was something wrong with my car that caused the fire but a few minutes later, I received a video clip from a Singaporean number, showing a man setting my car on fire.

"The sender told me that my husband, who is a construction worker in Singapore, owed him S$4,000 and threatened to do us more harm if we did not pay the sum," Chook said at a press conference organised by Pasir Gudang MCA Public Complaints bureau on Monday.

She added that the loan shark had photos of her and her husband's Malaysian identity card called MyKad and Singapore work permit.

He also demanded S$3,000.

She believed her husband's information had been misused, as he had only sent them to his employer for work purposes.

"We decided to transfer S$3,000 to the Ah Long the next day, even though we did not borrow money because we were worried that our family would be harmed," she said.

Repairs for Chook's car cost about RM20,000 (S$6,560), as the fire had damaged the vehicle's wiring, she said.

Pasir Gudang MCA Public Complaints bureau deputy chief Ang Tun Chek reminded those who received such threats not to get in touch with or pay the loan shark.

"They should immediately make a police report and seek help from a mediating body or non-governmental organisation," he said.