Nude stroll in Holland Village was for
the ‘thrill’
They had a street agog with curiosity and a nation wondering
about their naked jaunt down Lorong Mambong in Holland Village.
Yesterday, a district court heard that the couple had done it
for the "thrill" of it all.
And for that, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*)
PhD scholar Eng Kai Er and Swede Jan Philip were fined $2,000 each,
after pleading guilty to strolling in the buff in public on Jan 24
at about 11pm.
Defence lawyer William Chan said in mitigation that the act was
"spontaneous" and that both Eng and Philip had been drinking at
Holland Village, he said.
The lawyer added that before they decided to take their clothes
off, Philip had checked to see if public nudity was a crime.
He had looked up the Penal Code, which stated that obscene acts
are illegal, but he did not realise public nudity was an
offence.
Mr Chan said the duo were unfamiliar with Singapore law and had
"misapprehended" the statute.
Although Eng is a Singaporean, she has been studying overseas
and "misunderstood that while certain things are accepted overseas,
they are not here in Singapore".
He added that "public nudity is frowned upon, but nudity itself
is a natural aspect of a person" and "nudity per se is not obscene
and is not illegal".
The two had walked in a "graceful and dignified manner" with no
lewd gestures, obscene speeches or touching of any parts of their
bodies.
"There was no reaction of disgust. The people reacted with
cheers as was reported in the newspapers," said Mr Chan, pointing
out that the act was committed late on a Saturday night at a place
"well-known for expatriates and locals to relax and drink" with no
children or housing estates nearby.
A Housing Board estate sits on the fringe of Lorong Mambong and
the eateries there are popular with families.
The lawyer said the pair regretted their actions and are
students with "a future and bright prospects to contribute to
society, whether Singapore or internationally".
He added that Eng is involved in projects to "help prostitutes
who need education and assistance" and helps in handing out safe
sex pamphlets to make travellers going to the Riau Islands.
Eng, 24, is currently pursuing a biomedical science course at
Sweden's Karolinska Institue.
When contacted for comments about the sentence, an A*Star
spokeswoman said: "Naturally, we are disappointed that one of our
scholars is guilty of an offence. A*Start will now review the
matter with Kai Er and decide on the appropriate course of
action."
Philip, 21, is an exchange student at the National University of
Singapore and is expected to leave the Republic soon.
Approached for comments as they left the court separately, Ms
Eng did not say anything, while Mr Philip said "goodbye" in
Mandarin.
Both Eng and Philip had arrived together for the court session
clad in black and white suits.
They wore caps and sunglasses, using umbrellas to shield their
faces from photgraphers as they got out of the car.
Eng also wore a mask.
They looked calm throughout the session, smiling and speaking to
each other occasionally.
- TODAY
