PETALING JAYA: A South Korean studying in Imperial College in London tipped off Uncle Kentang after spotting the missing teen David Balisong in a hotel in Pudu.

Social activist Kuan Chee Heng, better known as Uncle Kentang, told Sin Chew Daily that the computer science student, identified as Konji, was in the same hotel with Balisong when backpacking in Malaysia

He read the story about the missing teen in United Kingdom and spotted Balisong in the hotel in Pudu.

Before reaching out to Kuan, the backpacker sought help from a person but he was ignored.  He then contacted Kuan.

Kuan alerted the police who immediately arrived at the budget hotel on the same night and brought Balisong to police headquarters after he was identified.

Balisong’s mother Minerva was in tears when she reunited with the 17-year-old son at the police headquarters.

Kuan posted on his Facebook that he met up with the 21-year-old student, who is also an app developer, to thank him for the tip-off.

Kuan also took the student to Hungary Ghost Festival celebrated by local Chinese for him to experience the Malaysian Chinese culture and treated him claypot chicken rice.

“The young man is very happy and takes a lot of photographs,’’ said Kuan.

The young backpacker is in Malaysia for three weeks before returning to South Korea for military service.

In early June, without informing his family, Balisong took a flight from Manchester in United Kingdom to Malaysia on June 7.

He was last seen at KL Sentral with only a backpack on June 7. Balisong has never left United Kingdom and this is his first time in Malaysia.

His family reported him missing after he failed to respond to repeated calls, emails and voice messages.

Balisong’s mother, Minerva, came to Malaysia to search for him and sought help from Kuan on Sep 2.