Singapore  - Singapore's cable television operator has been fined for showing a commercial with romanticized scenes of lesbians kissing, the Media Development Authority (MDA) said on Wednesday.

StarHub Cable Vision was fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,200 US dollars) for airing the commercial last November, the MDA said in a statement on its website.

The commercial on MTV's Mandarin channel promoted a song by singer Olivia Yen, the media regulator said.

MDA said it was a breach of television advertising guidelines, "which disallow advertisements that condone homosexuality."

Singapore defines gay sex as an act of "gross indecency," punishable by a maximum of two years in jail.

Prosecution, however, is rare. (dpa)