The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Anak Bukit state seat, lawyer Hashim Jahaya is optimistic that BN could recapture the seat, held by PAS for three terms since 1999.

His optimism is based on the voters' mounting desire for change in the state which only Umno and BN could bring.

Hashim said to ensure BN's victory in Anak Bukit, the focus was on the BN election machinery and its operations, including ensuring there would be enough vehicles to help ferry voters to the polling stations on May 5.

He himself wasted no time after he was announced as the BN candidate for Anak Bukit, promptly carrying on with the party work in facing the elections.

Hashim, 51, was met during his visit to the Kampung Alor Ganu district polling centre in Alor Setar last night to look at the operations there. He then went to the centre in Taman Aman, Anak Bukit.

In the last general election, Amiruddin Hamzah from PAS obtained 12,493 votes, defeating BN candidate Harisfadzilah Hussain with a 3,806-vote majority.

Hashim said he was confident of victory in Anak Bukit as its past PAS elected representatives had not brought any positive change to the area.

"Even the building of the road in Kampung Alor Ganu was due to my initiative of obtaining an allocation of RM14 million from the federal government when I was the MP for Kuala Kedah from 2004 to 2008.

"The mini Putrajaya in Anak Bukit town, Padi Museum, National Science Centre and Agriculture Centre, for example, became a reality because of the federal government. The PAS elected reps contributed nothing," said Hashim, who lost the Kuala Kedah seat to PKR's Ahmad Kassim in 2008.

He said Anak Bukit required more basic infrastructure development like ruralroads and this could happen if BN wins in Kedah.

Hashim said he was working hard at getting some 5,000 fence-sitters to vote for BN as this group could be the deciding factor, as well as PAS supporters who wished to "change course".

He said together with his counterparts, the prime minister's special officer Latt Shariman Abdullah (Kubang Rotan state seat)and Nor Hanita Mat Isa (Pengkalan Kundor), and Dr Zaki Zamani Abdul Rashid (Kuala Kedah parliamentary seat), they would be able to give Kuala Kedah a facelift if BN wrests back the state.

- Bernama