SINGAPORE - Just over a day after he saw Mr Zulkeflee Abdul Razak, 44, scolding a group of domestic workers for having a picnic near City Plaza Shopping Centre, Liyaqat Ali Ibrahim Bhai Saheb armed himself with a knife to teach the younger man a lesson.

After consuming alcohol, the 60-year-old confronted his victim and stabbed him twice. The incident happened last December.

On Thursday (Oct 11), the unemployed man was sentenced to a total of three years and three months' jail over the stabbing incident, which District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim described as "clearly premeditated".

Liyaqat's sentence includes penalties for consuming and possessing a controlled drug.

The court heard Liyaqat had seen Mr Zulkeflee at the open field near the mall on Dec 3 last year.

He witnessed the younger man, who was unemployed, approach a group of domestic workers having a picnic and scolding them for dirtying his land.

Mr Zulkeflee then kicked a pot of soup which the maids had with them.

At this point, Liyaqat did not confront Mr Zulkeflee but the incident bothered him.

The next day, he brought a knife with him and after consuming alcohol near the mall, waited for his victim who he knew frequented the area daily.

At around midnight on Dec 5, Mr Zulkeflee appeared and a scuffle ensued. When Mr Zulkeflee threw a punch and missed, Liyaqat stabbed him twice in his lower back with the knife concealed in his hand.

Liyaqat then fled the scene and took a taxi home.

Later that day, Mr Zulkeflee went to Changi General Hospital where he received treatment for two stab wounds, each measuring 1cm. He was warded for two days.

While one of the wounds was superficial, the other had breached the abdominal muscles.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yvonne Poon said Liyaqat had felt that "the victim deserved to be punished for how he had treated the domestic workers on Dec 3, 2017, and that his actions had been inhumane".

Liyaqat's defence counsel said his client accepted blame for the incident and was remorseful.

For voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon, he could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined and caned.