SINGAPORE -A construction worker was jailed for three weeks on Wednesday for taking an upskirt video of a woman on an MRT station escalator.

Cheong Chap Mun, a 38-year-old Malaysian working in Singapore, turned on his mobile phone's video recorder and placed it facing upwards in a bag which he put between the woman's legs.

The incident, on June 1, 2012, came to light after he was caught 11 days later.

Cheong had been travelling on a bus when a fellow passenger spotted him taking a photograph of her upper body with his mobile phone.

She confronted him and approached the bus driver for help. The driver then alerted the bus service staff who called the police.

They seized Cheong's mobile and found out he had taken upskirt videos.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lin Yinbing said there was a risk that the videos could have been circulated, causing his victim further humiliation.

She noted that he had also been convicted and fined for possession of an obscene film in 2007.

Three other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Cheong, who was not represented, asked for a lighter sentence, saying that he had realised his mistake and will mend his ways.

He added that he is getting married in May and has to take care of his elderly mother.

District Judge Crystal Ong said she agreed with the prosecution, adding that he did not commit the offence in the spur of the moment as he had plans to conceal his phone to avoid detection.

For insulting the modesty of a woman, he could have been jailed up to a year and fined.