GEORGE TOWN: Penang police have confirmed that the claims made by a woman who alleged she was forced into prostitution to pay off her father's debt to a loan shark are false.
State police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said a police report was made at 3pm yesterday regarding the 18-minute and 31-second podcast session uploaded by a TikTok account owner.
"The podcast features an online interview with the 26-year-old woman, via a phone call.
"She claimed her father owed RM20,000 to Ah Long and the failure to repay the debt led to her being forced to work without pay as a mistress for the Ah Long in Penang since February," he said.
Police said yesterday they were probing a claim by a woman that she was made a prostitute to pay off her father's debt to an Ah Long.
Hamzah said they were tracking down the woman.
According to Hamzah, a report was also made by the interviewer regarding the phone call received.
"About 10.50pm yesterday, police successfully located the woman, who was found safe at a house in Seberang Prai Utara.
During interrogation, she revealed that she had contacted the interview program on July 26, and her claims of being forced to work in a 'red house' were untrue," he said.
Hamzah explained that the woman fabricated the story 'merely to express her feelings'.
"She admitted to borrowing money from several loan companies and said she had received threats from them for failing to repay her debts. Additionally, her mother in the village also received threats," he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
"We advise the public not to easily believe and spread information seen on social media without first verifying its authenticity, as spreading false news can lead to action under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
"We also advise the public to report any harassment or threats from Ah Long for further action," he added.