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.
Meanwhile, in a response posted in his blog, Dr Mohd Khir maintained he had volunteered to surrender his title.
"I readily accept the suspension as I had written to the Sultan's private secretary (Datuk Munir Bani) in December, expressing my intent to temporarily return the title until my case is over," Dr Mohd Khir said.
When contacted, Dr Mohd Khir said he had written to Munir on Dec 7 and to the Sultan on Dec 10, through Munir's office.
He said he had written to secure the palace's permission to temporarily return the title as he did not have the authority to suspend it himself.
He said as he was not at the royal council's meeting, he was not in a position to say whether or not his letter had influenced the decision to suspend his title.
"I was only informed that His Highness the Sultan and the royal council had suspended my title and I assumed it this must be due to my letter," Dr Mohd Khir said.
He said Mohd Khusrin should have conferred with Munir before making the statement.
"I don't have to lie about these things," he added.
On Wednesday, the Sungai Panjang assemblyman said the policy for title-holders to surrender their titles if charged in court was made during his tenure as MB.
"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 had 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.
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Reported By The Star
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