Yesterday, Mr Alfian, 29, confirmed that he was called up for police investigations last Friday, following Professor Thio's police report about the e-mail, and said he was sorry for giving vent to his anger over her views.

The National University of Singapore law professor had described the e-mail as being 'full of obscene and vile invective' when she spoke in Parliament last Monday on why the Penal Code should retain the section that makes sex between men a crime.

The Government has decided to retain 377A, but has removed Section 377, which outlawed oral and anal sex between men and women.

Prof Thio said that she had had a 'personal unpleasant experience', when telling the House that some people who disagreed with her views had resorted to name-calling to intimidate and silence the opposing camp.

In particular, she referred to the e-mail she received from 'someone I never met, full of vile and obscene invective which I shall not repeat, accusing me of hate-mongering'.

A police spokesman yesterday said it was 'inappropriate to comment' on a matter under investigation, but Mr Alfian - the winner of the 2001 Young Artist Award - told The Straits Times that the incident 'was not the proudest moment of my life'.

The resident playwright at theatre company Wild Rice added: 'I apologise if she felt that I was trying to stifle her right to free speech. I also recognise that she has been doing very credible work on human rights issues and I sincerely hope the unfortunate tenor of her Parliament speech will not sabotage all the other causes she has been working for.'

The e-mail was 'sent in a flash of anger', he said.

Among other things, it vowed to defile her grave if Section 377A was ever repealed.

'I regret the way that it has been used to taint the pro-repeal camp as being incapable of rational debate,' he said, adding that he hoped others would not follow his 'reckless example'.

He said: 'I was expressing an opinion of her and I believe that opinion was not tantamount to harassment or intimidation.'

When contacted, Prof Thio declined comment.

The incident was under investigation, 'and as far as I am concerned, the matter is closed', she said.

cheekin@sph.com.sg