THOSE who borrow from loan sharks should be prosecuted too, an MP has suggested.

As in drug and corruption crimes, both the demand and supply sides of the illegal moneylending problem should be dealt with, said MP Christopher De Souza Holland-Bukit Timah) in Parliament on Thursday.

Only loan sharks are punished now but to successfully curb the problem, certain borrowers should also be prosecuted.

They could be those who give false addresses to loan sharks, resulting in innocent households being harassed or people who borrow to gamble, causing their families to suffer when loan sharks come calling.

As about half of the harassment cases reported in 2007 were against innocent victims, Senior Minister of State (law and Home Affairs) Ho Peng Kee, said that Mr De Souza's proposal would be studied seriously.

'I agree that those who borrow to feed their vices or subsequently abet loan sharks in their operations should not be treated as victims. They are part of the problem.'

'But not every borrower is in this category...' To this, Mr De Souza said that the Public Prosecutor could be given discretion so those who were forced to go to loan sharks because of genuine financial difficulties are let off.