'They're peeping Toms': Man who walks around nude in HDB flat on his complaining neighbours

He has deliberately appeared stark naked in front of his female neighbours several times, but this elderly man is insisting that his own modesty was violated instead. 

On the other hand, his next-door neighbours living in Block 280 along Tampines Street 22 are fed up after "putting up with his nonsense" for over five years. 

Taking to Facebook on Wednesday (June 22), user Syafiq Sadiq said that the man has been "psychologically assaulting" his much younger female neighbours by appearing nude outside his doorstep. 

Adding that the elderly neighbour has also been blasting music late into the night, Syafiq said: "Mind you, this happened [even] during Covid-19 and my [pregnant neighbour] was a hero for putting up with his nonsense for years." 

From the 14-second clip, the music from the unit was clearly audible from outside the block.

In an interview with AsiaOne on Thursday (June 23), the elderly man, who only wanted to be known as Woo, said that his neighbours should "mind their own business". 

While admitting that he has appeared naked in front of his neighbours, the 71-year-old retiree, who lives alone, insisted that his acts of nudity have always been limited to within the confines his own home.

Pointing to his next-door neighbour's CCTV camera outside his flat, Woo said: "What if they tell my kids that I walk around [the flat] naked? It'll make me disgraced. 

"[When] I'm inside the house, I would open the door because it's very hot... And [my neighbours] would come and peep here. They're peeping Toms." 

Under the Public Order and Nuisance Act, it is illegal to be naked in a private place while being exposed to public view. Those found guilty of this offence will face imprisonment of up to three months and a fine not exceeding $2,000 – or both. 

Wearing a sleeveless top and high-waisted shorts, Woo also ranted about the neighbours complaining about his loud music between 11 in the morning till close to midnight. 

Their long-held grudge towards him had stemmed from a dispute involving his damaged flower pots outside his flat, the man claimed. 

"Please, it's a personal thing... I was just playing my guitar and watching TV. 

"They got nothing better to do [and are] frustrated, [so] they complain to the police and make life difficult for me." 

But speaking to AsiaOne outside his flat on the same day, Syafiq said that his "neighbour from hell" Woo has been "tormenting" his neighbours since 2017. 

The elderly man had also claimed that the frequent loud pop music "is for their own entertainment", the 34-year-old tech analyst added. 

"The police visited [Woo] so many times, they all call him the 'famous guy'. Once they leave, he goes back to status quo. There isn't much they can do either." 

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Reaching out to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has not worked out either, Syafiq shared, adding that the residents in his block has "exhausted all avenues" to resolve the dispute with Woo. 

"Personally, I do not get affected much by him since I live at the corner unit, but those who are facing [his unit] are the ones who have to put up with him."

AsiaOne has contacted the police for comment. 

There were other "neighbours from hell" who have left everyone feeling helpless. 

A man was caught on camera last month chopping off his neighbour's flowers that were put up for Hari Raya, while a woman drizzled urine all over the neighbour’s shoes in March. 

With avenues available to resolve conflicts, these residents should not be made to suffer in silence. 

Residents who are unable to resolve neighbour disputes on their own should approach their grassroots leaders (GRLs) for help through the nearest Community Club, according to HDB. 

Mediation services, which involves a trained neutral third party to facilitate conversations between disputing parties, are also available through the Community Mediation Centre's website or by calling 1800-2255-529. 

ALSO READ: How to resolve disputes with a neighbour from hell in Singapore

chingshijie@asiaone.com