Bar vice-president Ezri Abdul Wahab said the professional body, at a meeting on Sept 3, had been unanimous in expressing support for Cheah and the press statement issued on Aug 19.
“An attack on the president for carrying out her duties is an attack on the Bar Council and, by extension, an attack on the Malaysian Bar,” he said in a statement.
He added that the Bar had responded to a letter of demand issued by Zaid and his partners, denying the allegations made.
“The Malaysian Bar will continue (carrying out) its duties and efforts, uninfluenced by fear or favour, and will not cower in the face of any act of intimidation,” he said.
On Aug 29, Zaid and two of his partners demanded that Cheah apologise over her statement which they claimed was “a grave and serious libel” on their conduct as Najib’s solicitors in his SRC International appeal before the Federal Court.
They had given her until Sept 2 to retract the statement and apologise, failing which they would initiate legal action.
On Aug 30, Najib’s lead counsel in his SRC International case, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, also said Cheah “will be hearing from him” over the Bar’s press statement.
Last Friday, Cheah said she was ready to face Zaid and his partners in court, adding that she had appointed two lawyers and instructed them to accept the service of process in the event the trio decided to proceed with the suit.
She contended that the press statement contained matters concerning public interest, administration of justice and standards of the legal profession. It also reflected the objectives of the Bar, she said.
However, Cheah said she had not received any letter of demand from Hisyam.
After the apex court turned down several requests for additional time to prepare for the appeal, Najib discharged Zaid’s legal firm, Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners, from representing him in his SRC International appeal on Aug 18.
A similar request to discharge Hisyam as lead counsel was rejected by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
On Aug 23, the Federal Court unanimously affirmed Najib’s conviction on all seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering brought in respect of SRC International funds totalling RM42 million.