Commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation For Freedom Malaysia in late 2025, as part of a Study on Perceptions of Geopolitics and Regional Issues, this dedicated CRC report examines how Chinese and Russian influence affects Malaysia’s digital information environment and public opinion. The report integrates the results of two recent national surveys, narrative intelligence findings, and a media environment analysis.

Indonesia’s smart-city vision is advancing, yet structural challenges — from uneven local capacities to fragmented cyber governance — continue to slow nationwide progress. The article contrasts these gaps with the integrated model of Nusantara and highlights the need for broader reforms and capacity building to achieve a resilient, digitally connected urban system.

Smart cities, built on deeply interconnected digital systems, are increasingly vulnerable to hybrid threats in which cyberattacks and influence operations converge, making trust in technical and communicative infrastructures a central stability factor. Using Indonesia’s ambitious smart-city projects as an illustrative case, the article highlights how technological, societal and informational dynamics intersect, and how Cyfluence operations are becoming a pivotal risk within t

Viral images featuring the ‘One Piece’ pirate flag, adopted as a symbol by protestors, made front page news and social media was soon flooded with cross-country messages of support and solidarity. In this CRC Spotlight article, we examine the potential operational implications of this development: how commercial ride hailing apps can serve as channels for on-the-ground support and how they might represent a new vector for Influence Operations.