Fernandes had also posted a message saying he did not know why Wee had chosen to “torment” AirAsia for years.
In a statement he issued today, Wee addressed Fernandes’ accusation head-on, clarifying that the only issue he had with AirAsia was the airline’s huge outstanding debt with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad that the company had failed to settle for years.
He also addressed the news report Fernandes posted alongside his Facebook message that carried the heading: “Tourism Malaysia Chairman Mr Wee Choo Keong’s bizarre rampage in Beijing” and stated that what took place at the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) on May 20 was nothing like what was reported.
In the news report, it was said that Wee had shouted loudly at staff to remove the AirAsia buntings. It was also alleged that Wee “broke the bunting with his bare hands” and muttered how he hated AirAsia and wanted their buntings thrown away.
However in his statement, Wee related a vastly different version of events.
He said that upon arriving at the entrance of the Tourism Malaysian (TM) booth in Beijing, he noticed that AirAsia and Genting buntings had overshadowed that of TM’s.
“I merely requested our local staff to clear the two buntings belonging to AirAsia & Genting from the entrance to the back of the booth,” he said, defending his instruction as being necessary as the two buntings were also obstructing the area where the launching ceremony of the TM booth was supposed to take place later.
“However I categorically deny that I broke the buntings with my bare hands as alleged by certain quarters. These wild allegations are most vicious.”
He added, “It is most regrettable that certain quarters took great pains to make this a personal issue and revisit my stand on issues involving AirAsia”
These “issues” Wee said concerned AirAsia’s business model as the airline had yet to settle “huge outstanding debts” to MAHB in the form of passenger service charges (PSC), formerly known as airport tax as well as other debts.
Wee also charged that despite this great debt, Fernandes continued to “project that all was well” with his business operations and that the low-cost carrier was expanding.
Wee said even a CEO of another airline had commented that there was no level playing field in the aviation industry “because AirAsia was allowed to owe huge sums of PSC/airport tax.”
“Tony Fernandes can rest assured that I will not allow personal matters to affect my judgement on matters involving TM.
“Inviting me, when I was MP, to visit the AirAsia HQ will not in any way help his organisation settle its huge debts with MAHB,” Wee said in response to the “totally unnecessary” statement by Fernandes that the TM chairman had been invited to visit the AirAsia Allstars.
Wee said that if only Fernandes could guarantee that AirAsia would pay up, MAHB would be able to provide better facilities and services to the travelling public.