But the New York-based firm wants the case to be heard in Singapore instead.

Mr Yong Teck-Meng, 46, contracted a fungal infection in his left eye after using the 'ReNu MoistureLoc' multi-purpose solution to clean his contact lens in 2005 - a year before Bausch & Lomb announced a worldwide recall of its product in May 2006 after an unusually high number of people who used the solution developed eye infections.

About 80 people in Singapore had infected corneas while 109 cases were reported in the US at that time.

Read K.C. Vijayan's full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.