Foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar reiterated today that a water dispute with neighbouring Singapore may have to be resolved in court if the tiny republic fails to demonstrate a desire to negotiate a settlement.

"Do you want to negotiate for a settlement or do you want the matter to be resolved in court?" he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

"If you talk about the fact that there is no right to review, that is a legal position, let it be resolved in the court of law."

Syed Hamid said the attitude of Singapore, fond of publicly seeking to undermine the integrity of Malaysia's leadership in parliamentary sessions or through the media, was not good for bilateral relations.