KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 4 -- For centuries, Malaysian farmers have relied on seed sharing to grow food and sustain their communities.

Now, a proposed law threatens to criminalise this ancient practice, sparking fears of losing control over their livelihoods and food security.

The Anwar administration is expected to table the Crop Seed Quality Bill in February's Dewan Rakyat sitting, amid protests from smallholder farmers and civil society groups.

Civil society organisations like the Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM) argued that the Bill would strengthen the grip of large agro-corporations on food production, undermining the rights of small farmers and jeopardising Malaysia's food sovereignty.

At the core of the controversy is the con...