GEORGE TOWN, May 16 — DAP is trading in the fanfare of political rallies for more personal house calls ahead of the Bukit Gelugor by-election in which its true competition is the benchmark of the party’s landslide victory from Election 2013.

As ennui sets in on an election that most expect DAP to win without issue and compounded by what it says is a lack of awareness among the public due to the lack of campaign materials put up, the party has now decided to pound the pavement to drive up support ahead of the May 25 poll.

“We have received feedback that many voters in the parliamentary constituency are unaware that there is a by-election going on so we need to arrange more house-to-house visits to inform and remind them to vote,” Air Itam state assemblyman Wong Hon Wai told a press conference this morning.

Woo explained that the areas was not awash with flags and buntings this time around as the only challenger that would have put up a fight, Barisan Nasional (BN), is sitting out the contest.

The roads around the parliamentary constituency are now adorned only by DAP flags and banners along with the sporadic flags of Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM).

PCM is the only other political party going up against DAP for the parliamentary seat; two independent candidates are also contesting in the by-election.

DAP's Ramkarpal Singh Deo has so far conducted a lonely campaign in the last few days, visiting markets and holding walkabouts in commercial areas and some housing estates on his own, in between rallies here.

His opponents, PCM's Huan Cheng Guan, independent candidates Mohamed Nabi Bux Abd Sathar and Abu Backer Sidek, have also only made infrequent market visits since nominations on Monday.

Wong said that next week, DAP's campaign will focus more on house-to-house visits to reach out to more constituents to get them to come out to vote.

He said this is needed to dispel misconception amongst many voters that they are not in the Bukit Gelugor constituency as many had assumed it only covered the Gelugor area.

The Bukit Gelugor constituency covers the Seri Delima, Air Itam and Paya Terubong state constituencies.

“We also want to reach out to outstation voters to come back to vote since May 25 is a Sunday so they can come back to visit their family and vote at the same time,” he said.

The parliamentary seat was vacated after the late MP Karpal Singh was killed in a road crash on April 17.

There are a total 82,431 registered voters in the constituency but DAP expected voter turnout to be lower than last year's general election which recorded 84 per cent turnout here.

MCA, which had traditionally held the seat before Karpal won it under DAP's ticket in 2004, has decided to drop out of the by-election.

Observers have predicted it to be an easy win for DAP as Karpal had retained the seat with a massive majority of 42,706 votes last general election but DAP aims to garner a higher majority this time around.