Man admits to cycling nude on Lazarus Island, exposing himself at NUS, NTU

SINGAPORE — While trekking on Lazarus Island, two women spotted a 54-year-old man cycling in the nude.

Leong Weng Wai told the women that his clothes had been “washed away” into the sea and asked them for some clothing, but they declined his request.

The next day, the women again spotted Leong cycling around the island, which is one of Singapore's Southern Islands, wearing only a shirt. 

A few months earlier, Leong had appeared naked or partially nude in toilets at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). 

On Wednesday (Aug 28), Leong pleaded guilty to three charges of appearing nude in a public place under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act. 

Two other similar charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing. 

APPEARING NUDE ON LAZARUS ISLAND

Sometime in the evening of Nov 14, 2023, two women who were camping at Lazarus Island saw Leong, who was nude, cycling near them. 

Leong, who noticed them, quickly disembarked from his bicycle and left it on the pathway and walked towards nearby trees and bushes to hide himself.

The two women continued their trek around Lazarus Island. Sometime later, Leong, still fully nude, returned to his bicycle and rode past the women from behind them. 

When the man stopped near the women and asked them for some clothing, they refused him. 

Using their mobile phones, the complainants took photographs and recorded videos of the man cycling fully nude.

In the late morning of Nov 15, 2023, the women encountered the man at Lazarus Island again.

This time, he was fully clothed and riding his bicycle.

Sometime after noon, the women spotted Leong riding his bicycle again. He was wearing a shirt but was naked from the waist down. 

Later that day, the women spotted Leong riding past them again. He was fully nude, save for a small towel draped over his shoulders. 

The man did not speak to the women that day.

Court documents stated that the man had left Lazarus Island on the evening of Nov 14, 2023 and returned to the island by boat the next day.

The women made a police report on Nov 23, 2023.

EXPOSED HIMSELF AT HANDICAPPED TOILETS 

On May 18, 2023, at around 10pm, Leong went to a handicapped toilet on the first level of the Stephen Riady Centre at NUS. 

He called on a woman to assist him at the toilet. She went forward and saw the man lying down in the toilet. The man’s head was protruding from the door, which was left ajar.

The woman then asked her friend to accompany her in assisting the man. Upon closer inspection, the women discovered that Leong was partially undressed and his private parts were fully exposed to them. 

He told them that he had injured his elbow and knee areas. Because of this, the woman and her friend helped Leong get up from the floor by supporting him using their arms. 

At the two women's repeated urging, he also pulled up his pants. They then escorted him to a nearby bus stop.

Charge sheets stated that the man also appeared nude around 7pm at NUS on May 22 as well. 

The woman who first encountered the man on May 18 made the police report. 

On the night of May 23, near Block 61, along Nanyang Drive at NTU, a woman saw Leong lying against a wall near another handicapped toilet. 

Although he wore a shirt, his pants had been pulled down to his ankle. He raised both hands and asked the woman to help him get up. 

The woman agreed, pulling him up with her hands. As Leong stood up, he exposed himself to the woman. 

He then asked the woman to help pull up his pants. The woman refused to do so, as she observed that the man could gesture using his hands. She also informed the man to stop leaning towards her.

Court documents also stated that he had exposed himself to another woman earlier that night. 

This woman returned to the vicinity of the handicapped toilet later with the assistance of her male friends, and she saw the previous woman helping the man. 

The first woman approached them for help and made a police report at 9.25pm that night. 

The judge called for a suitability report for mandatory treatment. Leong will return to court Sept 29 for sentencing. 

For appearing nude in public, Leong could be jailed for up to three months and fined up to S$2,000 on each count.