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SHAH ALAM: The Datuk Seri title of former Mentri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was suspended by the Selangor Sultan and not surrendered voluntarily, State Secretary Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi clarified Thursday.

The former MB's statement that he had voluntarily returned his title was not true, Mohd Khusrin said when contacted, adding that the decision to suspend the title was made by the Sultan and relayed to Dr Mohd Khir after the royal council's meeting Wednesday.

According to Mohd Khusrin, the suspension would be until the case pending against Dr Mohd Khir was settled.

"If he is found guilty, the title will be revoked. If he is not guilty, it will be returned to him", he added.

On Wednesday, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said he had written to the palace stating that he wished to surrender his Datuk Seri title in view of him being charged with graft.

The policy for title-holders to surrender their titles if charged in court was made during his tenure as MB, the Sungai Panjang assemblyman said.

"Given this, it is the right and honorable thing for me to return the title to the palace.

"I wrote a letter to the palace on this matter last month," he added.

Dr Mohd Khir, however, in his blog posting, said he was surrending the title "temporarily", pending the disposal of his graft trial.

Dr Mohd Khir, 45, was charged on Dec 6 in the Sessions Court here with accepting two plots of land in Section 7 here for RM3.5mil, when the said lots were bought by Ditamas Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Shamsuddin Haryoni for RM6.5mil.

Shamsuddin, 52, was also charged with abetting in the deal of the property on May 29, 2007. - theStar