A local lawyer's suit against the Malaysian Bar and Bar Council, challenging the legality of a notice they issued for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) will likely be settled out of court.

Shaharudin Ali, representing plaintiff Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, said the Malaysian Bar and Bar Council proposed at the High Court today before Justice John Louis O'Hara that the case be settled cordially among the parties.

He said the outcome of the negotiations would be relayed to the court by Feb 4, and should there be no compromise, the court would fix a full hearing for the case.

Mohd Khairul Azam filed the action on May 16, last year, seeking among others, to declare that the notice issued by the defendants on May 4 to call for an EGM was illegal and breached the Legal Profession Act 1976.

In his statement of claim, Mohd Khairul Azam, a member of the Malaysian Bar and Bar Council, contended that the notice to call for the EGM was issued less than seven days before May 11, hence council members were not appropriately notified.

The plaintiff, when met by reporters, said he had been informed that the two defendants wished to settle the case before the next Bar Council annual general meeting on March 16.

Meanwhile, outside the Court Complex in Jalan Duta today, about 100 people representing 25 non-governmental organisations gathered to express support for the plaintiff.

Many were in red attire and exclaiming, 'Replace the Bar Council' and 'Clean up the Malaysian Bar', while carrying banners.

The 90-minute gathering which began at 9am, ended when court officer ACP R Munusamy agreed to allow some of the representatives to meet and hand over a memorandum to Court Complex director Al-Baishah Abd Manan.

- Bernama