Man admits to cycling nude on Lazarus Island, flashing students at NTU, NUS

SINGAPORE: A 54-year-old man admitted to a court on Wednesday (Aug 28) that he had cycled nude on Lazarus Island and exposed himself to students at two universities.

Leong Weng Wai, a Singaporean, pleaded guilty to three counts of appearing nude in a public place under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

Another two charges for appearing nude at NUS' University Town will be taken into consideration for sentencing.

THE CAMPERS AT LAZARUS ISLAND

On Nov 14 last year, two female victims whose ages were not revealed went camping at Lazarus Island.

That evening, they saw Leong cycling completely nude. Leong noticed them and quickly dismounted his bicycle.

He left the bicycle on a pathway and went to hide among some nearby trees and bushes.

The campers continued trekking around the island.

However, Leong returned to his bicycle and rode past them naked.

The victims used their phones to take photos and videos of Leong cycling in the buff.

This time, Leong stopped in front of the campers and asked them for some clothing.

He claimed that his clothes had been "washed away" into the sea. The victims rejected him and walked away.

Investigations revealed that Leong left the island that night but returned the next morning.

The campers spotted him cycling again that morning, but he was clothed this time. 

When they saw him again after noontime, he had removed his pants and underwear. The third time they saw him that day, he had only a small towel draped over his shoulders.

In total, the campers saw Leong in various states of undress four times over two days.

They informed the police later that month about a man who was naked on Lazarus Island.

THE UNIVERSITY FLASHING

Leong also admitted to flashing female students at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in May last year.

At about 10pm on May 18, 2023, Leong went to a toilet for the disabled at the Stephen Riady Centre of NUS' University Town.

He called for help, and a woman went forward and saw Leong lying down on the toilet floor, with his head protruding out the door.

The woman asked her friend, a student at NUS, to accompany her to help Leong.

However, when they went closer, they realised that Leong's pants were pulled down and his private parts were exposed.

Leong told them that he had injured his elbow and knee.

The two women helped Leong to get up. He pulled up his pants only at their repeated urging, and the women escorted Leong to a bus stop.

The NUS student lodged a police report several days later, saying a man had exposed himself twice to female students in toilets.

On May 23, 2023, a female student at NTU saw Leong lying on a wall near a toilet for the disabled at NTU.

She observed that Leong was wearing a shirt, but his pants were pulled down to his ankles.

As Leong was facing away from her, the woman could see only the side of his buttocks.

Leong reached out both hands and asked the woman to help him up.

She agreed, but as she was pulling him up, Leong's private parts came into view.

Leong asked the woman to help him pull up his pants, but she refused, as she observed that he could gesture with his hands.

She told Leong to stop leaning towards her.

Meanwhile, another victim who had been flashed by Leong that night returned to the toilet with her male friends and saw the new victim helping Leong.

A police report was made.

The judge called for a report to assess Leong's suitability for a mandatory treatment order and adjourned sentencing to September.

In response to CNA's queries, the accused's lawyer, Ms Felicia Ong of Beacon Law, said that the court was informed of his mild neurocognitive disorder, as assessed by a psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health. The court was also told that he has had Parkinson’s disease for the past 10 years.

For each count of appearing nude in a public place, Leong could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$2,000, or both.