Malaysia said Saturday the door was still open for talks with Singapore to resolve a long-standing water dispute but told its neighbour to be honest and sincere.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid said Malaysia mounted a media blitz since Sunday on the facts of the dispute because Singapore had twisted the facts of the case and it was tired of "debating" with the island-state.

"We have never shut the door for negotiations, only we have stopped the talks after observing that the republic is not sincere in seeking a solution and gave the impression that this country is taking the advantage in this issue," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Positive attitude

Talks could still proceed but Singapore must be honest, sincere and take a positive attitude, instead of making various allegations, he added.

Malaysia's media campaign, involving full page advertisements in all major daily newspapers here as well as in the Asian Wall Street Journal , will run until Sunday.

The ads have involved figures accusing Singapore of profiteering from the deal and Saturday's ad asked if Malaysia's insistence of a fair price was an "act of bullying."

Singapore has said it was puzzled by the media blitz and accused Malaysia of repeating "tired old arguments" that will not resolve the row.

Legal action

Malaysia decided to halt talks on the issue last year after failing to secure a price hike and said it was considering taking legal action against Singapore.

Malaysia sells the water to Singapore at three Malaysian sen (less than one cent) per 1,000 gallons (4,550 litres), supplying half its daily needs under the terms of decades-old agreements.

Water is just one of many key irritants in bilateral relations since Singapore left the Malaysian Federation and gained independence in 1965.

Other disputes include a proposed new bridge linking the countries, use of Malaysian airspace by Singaporean aircraft and ownership of a rocky islet claimed by both countries. - AFP