SG LIMAU Voters in the Sungai Limau state seat seem prepared to make a "penghijrahan" or change, including in four black areas that have been penetrated by the BN machinery.

The four areas which are PAS strongholds are Bukit Choras, Bukit Besar, Permatang Buluh and Selengkoh.

BN Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said BN would have a good chance in the by-election if PAS' majority in its four strongholds in the constituency could be reduced.

NONE"I was told that previously, you couldn't even put up a BN flag in Bukit Besar but now, BN flags are flying there and you can also find BN posters and buntings all over. In fact, there are even staunch PAS supporters who are with us now.

"Whether they have become part of our machinery, supporting us or visiting our operations room in the polling districts, these are good signs.

"It means they are prepared to make a change," he told reporters after visiting the polling district centres of Bukit Besar and Permatang Buluh, in Yan including four houses in Bukit Besar, today.

Khairy, who is also youth and sports minister, said the young generation's high hopes of seeing development and change in the area, was among the factors for increasing support among them for BN.

"They know that development and change can only come about if the area's elected representative is from the same party that is administering the state and country."

He said a moderate approach would continue to be used by BN Youth in the by-election campaign which included visiting voters from house to house and holding small-scale ceramah.

In a related development, Khairy who is also Umno Youth head, expressed regret that the good image of former Kedah menteri besar, the late Azizan Abdul Razak who was the incumbent from 1995 until his death recently on Sept 26, had been exploited by PAS in the Sungai Limau by-election campaign.

"I regret that the (superimposed) photograph is being disseminated just to show that the PAS candidate was close to the late Azizan as he knows that Ustaz Azizan was a well-respected figure. This is aimed at gaining the support of those who loved the late Azizan," he said.

He was asked to comment on the said use of the superimposed photograph by PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat in his profile document for the by-election.

Tekun has given out RM281 million

Meanwhile, the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun Nasional) says it has, since 1998 until now, given out RM281 million in loans to 28,828 entrepreneurs in Kedah, including RM14 million to those in the Jerai parliamentary constituency.

Its chairman Hamidah Osman said within the same period, 322 entrepreneurs from the Sungai Limau state constituency received Tekun loans amounting to RM3.2 million.

NONEToday, 20 women entrepreneurs in the Sungai Limau state seat, including single mothers, received RM200,000 in Tekun loans, she said after the ‘Tekun Nasional with Single Mothers' event was officiated by Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (2nd from left), in Yan.

Hamidah said the loans were given out under a Tekun Nasional special programme for single mothers and these were interest-free loans and with no service charge imposed.

She urged more single mothers to make good use of the facility made available to improve their lot.

- Bernama