According the Straits Times web site on Monday, 24-year-old Kawsar Bhuiyan Kafil, a Bangladeshi shipyard worker in Singapore, slashed his colleague with a penknife at their workplace on Nov 9 last year. The victim was hospitalised for two days.

It was reported that the victim Faruq Hossain Romiguddin, 26, had earlier confronted his attacker for allegedly spreading rumours about the former being gay.

The report stated that Faruq held Kawsar's hand and attempted to lead him somewhere when the latter pulled out a penknife and slashed the victim on his left cheek.

Kawsar was sentenced to eight months in jail. The maximum penalty is seven years imprisonment or fine or cane or any combination of the punishments.