Bar to proceed with AGM this Saturday amid Covid-19 concerns

CORONAVIRUS | The Malaysian Bar will proceed to hold its annual general meeting at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday despite reservations from members.

Concerns over attendance at the meeting were raised by lawyers after one of their colleagues who attended the Kuala Lumpur Bar AGM at the same venue on Feb 27 had reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.

Malaysian Bar president Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor told Malaysiakini there was no room for the AGM to be postponed to a later date as Section 64(1) of the Legal Profession Act states that it must be called before April 1.

"We cannot postpone it. There’s no room to do so in the LPA. We will act according to the provisions of the LPA," Fareed said.

It is understood that the Bar Council had issued reminders for its members to attend the AGM which requires a quorum of 500 people.

Quizzed on the possible outcome if the quorum was not met, Fareed merely said: "Don’t worry about that all. We will handle it according to the provisions of the law."

Last Thursday, KL Bar Committee chairperson Harleen Kaur in a notice confirmed said that a member who attended its annual general meeting on Feb 27 had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah earlier today urged for all mass gatherings to be postponed and for people with respiratory infection symptoms to avoid crowds, including religious activities. - Mkini