Give me a sign of life, pleads mum of missing British teenager [WATCH]

New Straits Times

6 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: British teenager David Renz Balisong who has been missing since June 6 may look mature and book-smart, but when it comes to street smarts, he does not make the cut, this was the lament of his mother Minerva Balisong.
Fearing for the safety of her 17-year-old son, the mother of three from the United Kingdom flew halfway across the world in search for David.
"He might not want to be found," the 51-year-old Minerva said, her voice cracking during an interview with the New Straits Times.
"But as a mother, all I want is a sign of life. It's okay if he's made certain choices. "We're not angry. The family just needs to know he's safe."
David, the eldest of 3 children, left Manchester on June 6 and landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) the following day - all this without his family's knowledge.
The teenager, who had always dreamt of becoming a cybersecurity expert, has been uncontactable since the day he landed in Kuala Lumpur.
He, however, sent an email to his mother in Cheadle, Manchester on June 9, urging her not to waste her resources looking for him and told his family to "remain calm and take care", ending with he loves all of them.
But Minerva, a critical care unit staff nurse with a private hospital in Manchester, is not convinced. She fears her son may have been groomed or influenced by someone, or a group online in the months leading up to his disappearance.
"There were signs, only I didn't see them at the time. He's tech-savvy. Very clever. He knows how to disappear from the Internet."
She said David had previously taken part in a short-term cybersecurity apprenticeship and was known for his ability to mask his digital presence.
But what worried Minerva more were the unfamiliar clothes and mobile phone David had with him when police showed her CCTV footages from both airports, in the United Kingdom and KLIA.
"It was clear from the footages he was calm, composed. He knew exactly what he was doing. But the phone he pulled out from his pocket wasn't the one we gave him. Even the clothes, they weren't his," she said.
Back in the UK, bank records later revealed that David had made unusual purchases as early as March, including at a clothing store the family often visited together. He also left with 1,200 Pound Sterling.
Her son had stopped attending school after May 4, but had continued to leave home and return daily as if he had.
"We only found out after he went missing. We checked his bus pass. He would travel to the last stop, then return. I suspect he just wanted the free Wi-Fi and charging ports on the buses," she said.
Minerva arrived in Kuala Lumpur on July 12. Her sister from Canada followed shortly to help look for David. Her other sister, from the Philippines, is now with her in Kuala Lumpur as they continue scouring the streets of KL for the teenager.
"We've met with members of the Filipino community here, attended different churches these past two Sundays to raise awareness. Everyone has been kind and supportive," Minerva, who is Filipino, said.
She said she received two credible sightings of David — one from a restaurant operator and a cook in Kota Raya, who claimed the teen was seen dining with four Filipino men, and another from a woman who encountered a boy matching his description at Ikea Damansara in the first week of July.
"I believe it was him. The way they described his face, his gestures… I just know it was David," she said, adding that she had reported both sightings to the local authorities.
Together with a friend and her sister, Minerva scoured Changkat Bukit Bintang last Saturday until the early hours of the morning, hoping to spot her son but to no avail.
She and her sister had also distributed flyers but was asked to stop by the police.
Minerva insisted there were no arguments, no signs of rebellion, or any family tensions that could explain David's sudden disappearance.
"There was no fight, no shouting match, no depression that we were aware of.
"It came like a tsunami, no warning at all. David is a good boy. He goes to school, comes home. He has a few close friends. Not a social butterfly, but I wouldn't call him a loner. He's quiet but engaging when spoken to," Minerva said.
"We're not here to drag him back or shame him. We just want to know he's okay," she said softly.
Minerva and her sisters will remain in Malaysia for as long as they can, holding on to hope that David might see their pleas or someone might recognise him and reach out.
David's disappearance is being investigated by KLIA police. The New Straits Times has contacted them for a response.