During a disaster, the ground shakes, the water rises, the sky turns black with smoke, and in that raw moment of terror, something else often begins to move—quietly, invisibly, and yet with devastating force. It is the rumor. It travels through frightened crowds, through whispered warnings, through hastily forwarded messages on phones, and it always seems to find the most vulnerable target: the stranger, the outsider, the one who does not belong. In recent years, as earthquakes, floods, typhoons, and wildfires have become more frequent and more intense, experts have noticed a troubling pattern. Disinformation aimed at foreign residents is…

Your phone buzzes with a breaking-news alert: a Malaysian university student has been arrested for smuggling more than four kilogrammes of syabu into Indonesia. In the seconds it takes to read that first line, a whole story appears in your mind—a young person, a hidden stash, a dramatic takedown at a foreign ferry terminal. You might feel anger, disappointment, or fear. You might share the article with a friend before you have even finished reading it. But the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has now stepped in to stop the story in its tracks. On Oct 14, Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime…