KUALA LUMPUR (May 25): The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia) has been ordered to set up an investigation committee to look into the feud between its chairman Wee Choo Keong and AirAsia Bhd.

Culture and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said he wants Tourism Malaysia to probe the matter after the board’s internal meeting on May 30, to discuss the issue.

"They are also being ordered to produce a report after the investigation, so that follow up action can be taken," he said in the Dewan Rakyat in response to a question by Seremban parliamentarian Anthony Loke.

Speaking to reporters later, Nazri said he has not met Wee and would not do so before May 30, as he does not want to be seen as being bias in the matter.

Nazri said AirAsia is a strategic partner of Tourism Malaysia and provides a lot of support to the board.

"They have agreed to open more routes to bring in Chinese tourists to Malaysia," he said.

Wee allegedly slammed his staff during the recent China International Tourism Expo in Beijing, after seeing an AirAsia bunting put up alongside other promotional material at the Tourism Malaysia booth.

Wee also reiterated his claim that the low cost carrier has a "huge outstanding debt with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd which the company has failed to settle for years."

However, AirAsia had described the allegation as "totally untrue".