The Tan Kin Lian "Lending Money To Needy Folks" Saga.

Honestly, I am puzzled why our ex-presidential candidate, Mr Tan Kin Lian, went on from previous controversy of  posting pretty Xiao Mei Mei on social media to the now giving "emergency loans" to people who approached him. Back in August 2023, a TikTok video featured screenshots of several Facebook posts he had made about women he met around the country. Women's rights group AWARE expressed concern over his comments then.

1. The Current Emergency Loan Saga

Apparently, Mr Tan has been granting emergency loans to various locals to help them. Trouble brewed when they failed to repay him and he started publishing their names online. Mr Tan also asserted that a number of these borrowers did not honour the repayment terms after their emergency and some even went missing in action and uncontactable. He may even escalate by "asking" the employer of these defaulters to "pass a message". So now, Mr Tan has become a debt collector this time round. 

2. Strange Views To Lend Money to Strangers And Then Trouble In Debt Collection.

This is a very strange case of lending money to people who obviously have very weak financial position since they cannot get any loans from bank or private loans from legalised money lenders. Additionally, the money is lent to strangers whom Mr Tan does not know well.

Hence if one lends money, probability of recovery will be low. I thought anyone lending money will probably know this basic 101 of life? But now Mr Tan is ranting on and off about the defaulters who are not honourable. Also, posting online the names of the defaulters may get Mr Tan into legal trouble as there are many innocent folks in Singapore with the same name and surnames. 

Parting Thoughts

Sometimes, I really cannot comprehend how one end up in such a mess when it could have been easily avoided with some basic common sense or street-smartness gleaned from decades of exposure to life. Nevertheless, this Tan Kin Lian latest saga served a good financial lesson to everyone here as a good reminder that lending money to people can end up in default. Only lend what you can lose. 

But personally, having seen many friendship being soured over personal loans, I will rather be firm to needy friends who asked for emergency loans. Also, the hard truth here is that I do not have much cash on hand or in bank....most of my funds are locked up in investment for retirement....haha. So do not look for me for emergency loan. :p