Political economist professor Edmund Terence Gomez's strong advice to 329 farmers being evicted in Perak is to demonstrate how political, institutional and economic arrangements within the state had led to their marginalisation.

Speaking from an audience composed of NGOs and individuals attending a meeting to discuss support for the farmers, Gomez said, "show how the state has manoeuvred itself to centralise power to one man – the menteri besar."

The farmers, which formed Gabungan Petani, are from 11 areas and faced forced evictions involving an accumulated 1,832 acres