AirAsia Tony Fernandes quits Facebook over 'hate' after New Zealand attacks

Tony Fernandes says in Twitter post he is "a big fan" of social media, but he had to think hard about whether to remain on Facebook after the live-streaming of the mass shooting in New Zealand.

AirAsia Group Bhd Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes closed his Facebook account and said he may shut his Twitter page, citing “hate” being transmitted on the networks.

“The amount of hate that goes on in social media sometimes outweighs the good,” Fernandes said in a Twitter post. “But on Twitter I think the battle for me goes on."

Fernandes said his Facebook account had 670,000 followers. He said in a Twitter post Saturday that while he is “a big fan” of social media, he had to think hard about whether to remain on Facebook after the live-streaming of the mass shooting in New Zealand.

Fernandes has about 1.29 million followers on Twitter and has tweeted more than 20,200 times since joining in 2008, commenting often on the performance of his companies and sports teams. He is the co-owner of English soccer club Queens Park Rangers. AirAsia is one of the region’s biggest discount carriers.