KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 ― Tourism Malaysia chairman Wee Choo Keong should not make light of AirAsia’s economic contributions to the country, the airline’s chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun has warned.

Asia’s largest budget carrier has 17,000 employees who fly 60 million visitors into the country annually, Kamarudin said in response to Wee’s persistent allegations that AirAsia has yet to pay RM50 million in airport charges.

“Dear Mr Wee, you may not like AirAsia but that's your choice and its [sic] a free world.

“But what on earth are you thinking by putting such a picture...enough is enough and we have done so much for the country. AirAsia, the 17,000 staff and 60 million annual guests don't deserve to be the scapegoat,” he said on his Facebook page yesterday.

Accompanying his Facebook post was a picture of a diving AirAsia plane uploaded on Wee’s blog nearly a year ago in June titled “New dog, playing a very old trick”.

Kamarudin is the latest AirAsia senior official to fire a volley against the former federal lawmaker in a heated exchange over disagreements that took place last week during the 4th China International Tourism Expo 2016 in Beijing.

Others from AirAsia to have berated Wee include its CEO Aireen Omar and founder and top boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

Aireen refuted Wee’s claim that AirAsia was in debt to Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad, saying Asia’s largest budget airline has consistently paid its Passenger Service Charge.

Wee, who is facing a defamation suit raised by AirAsia, raised the allegation again yesterday in response to claims he had scolded the airline’s staff and broken its buntings during the 2016 Beijing tourism.

In July last year, AirAsia Berhad filed a defamation suit against Wee over his blog post on the issue.