National carrier Malaysia Airlines has reported the discovery of a broken cable on board one of its aircraft and is investigating whether it was cut deliberately, Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said today.

The incident comes just weeks after several wires on a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane bound for Australia were found to have been cut shortly before take-off.

Three of the airline's staff were arrested over what a spokesman described as an act of vandalism, not sabotage.

Chan told AFP he had ordered an investigation into the latest incident.

Police probe

"I have received a preliminary report from Malaysia Airlines. We are not certain if the cable was broken due to wear and tear or deliberately cut," he said.

"We are certainly concerned."

State police chief Mohamad Nor Hamat said a report on the incident had been lodged by the airline.

"We are investigating," he said, without giving further details.

The broken cable was discovered during a pre-flight check on a passenger plane on Wednesday, according to a source close to the investigation. - AFP