Umno president and BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak cannot sign the letters of appointment for candidates from Umno and BN in the coming general election following questions raised on Umno's legality.

This was stated by lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who represented the 16 Umno members who filed a judicial review application today to challenge the decision of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to extend the period from holding the Umno leadership elections until April next year.

Haniff said the party supreme council and divisions ceased to exist effective today, while the Umno branches ceased to exist effective March 1.

"Hence Najib cannot sign the watikah (credentials) of the candidates due to the questionable position of Umno," he told reporters.

The lawyer said that Najib was no longer Umno president and hence his position as BN chairperson was also disputed as a result of this.

Haniff also said the 16 Umno members are seeking a certiorari to quash the ROS decision dated March 5 which allowed party polls to be extended until April next year.

They also want a mandamus order to compel ROS to investigate the matter and an order for Umno's dissolution.

The lawyer noted that they did not file a certificate of urgency for the matter to be heard but would not be surprised if an early date is fixed due to the impact of the case being filed.

Haniff said he had raised the issue on Feb 28 questioning the possibility of Umno branches being illegal.

It was previously reported on March 1 that former Umno supreme council member and now Pakatan Harapan secretary, Saifuddin Abdullah (above), had agreed with the possible issue of all Umno branches being deregistered for not holding their elections by Feb 28 as what Haniff had earlier claimed.

Seri Merpati Pandan Indah Umno branch leader Salihudin Ahmad Khalid, who is one of the plaintiffs in the judicial review application, said he has written to ROS inquiring about the status of the party and has not received any reply.

"I have been a branch leader since 2013 and I question whether my position is legal today due to the absence of branch elections, which were supposed to be held by Feb 28 this year," Salihudin said.

Salihudin said that it had been more than five years since the last Umno elections when they should be held every three years.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has insisted that Umno was not an illegal party and assured its members that it will be able to contest the 14th general election.