A glass panel worker who fought with a man on an MRT train earlier this year was fined $1,500 on Wednesday for disturbing public peace.

Teeng Kok Yong, 40, admitted to a charge of affray by kicking odd-job worker Ng Cheng Kiat, 50, twice on his leg, on Jan 11.

Ng, who is married with three children, was earlier fined $2,500 for grabbing and punching Teeng in the face.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Justin Seng said Ng and his girlfriend boarded the south-bound train at Khatib MRT station at about 11.35pm that day and sat across from Teeng. Teeng was playing a game on his cellphone and moving his tongue around. He had a metal stud on his tongue.

Ng felt that Teeng's gesture was offensive and assumed that Teeng was trying to tease his girlfriend. He asked Teeng why he was making such gestures and told him to stop. He grabbed Teeng by the shoulder and a scuffle ensued.

In the midst of the fight, Teeng kicked Ng twice and threw punches at him. Ng punched Teeng twice in the face and grabbed his body.

The two ended up scuffling on the ground for about a minute before a fellow passenger separated them.

They were later escorted out of the train by MRT staff at Yio Chu Kang station.

The video of their exchange of blows, punctuated with Hokkien expletives, received several thousand views on YouTube, and also went viral on Facebook.

Mr Seng told District Judge Ronald Gwee that Ng was the instigator in this case. Ng had a similar previous conviction.

Teeng could have been jailed for up to one year and fined $5,000.