Malaysia’s Immigration Department identified 430 foreign nationals connected to the Network School in Forest City, Johor, with 210 still in the country, 201 confirmed to have left, and 19 individuals whose movements remain unverified, raising concerns about potential illegal entry or exit from Malaysia [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said, "We have 19 individuals whose movements cannot be traced. They may have left the country illegally or entered illegally" while confirming ongoing efforts to locate them [1].
The Network School, a co-living and co-working technology commune founded by American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan targeting digital nomads and remote workers, ceased operations after its business and advertising licences were revoked by Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) effective July 22, 2026 [6, 7]. MBIP cited failure to comply with licensing conditions and approved use of premises as grounds for licence cancellation [6, 7]. The premises were closed and signboards removed or covered shortly after the revocation [6, 7].
Allegations surfaced around July 14 that Israeli nationals attended the Network School programme using second-country passports [6, 7, 4]. Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said the state government and local councils would investigate "matters within their respective jurisdictions," while issues related to foreign entry would be handled by the Home Ministry [3]. The Johor Menteri Besar and authorities launched investigations involving the Home Ministry, Immigration Department, police, and local agencies in response [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Between July 21 and 22, the Immigration Department conducted two enforcement inspections at the Network School premises, checking 379 foreigners for immigration compliance but found no evidence of passport misuse or illegal activity [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. All travelers inspected held valid passports from their respective countries with no multiple passport usage detected [1, 2, 3, 5]. Datuk Zakaria explained the biometric system detects if someone enters and leaves using different passports but said that if only one passport is used consistently, the system may not identify others [2].
Social media posts on platforms like Threads erupted with questions about the true purpose of the Network School and possible Israeli involvement, intensifying public scrutiny [1, 4]. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government would consider strict enforcement, including deportation, if Israeli nationals were found to have entered with second-country passports and participated illegally [4].
Investigations continue as authorities work to trace the whereabouts of the 19 unverified foreign nationals linked to the Network School. The revocation of the business licence and closure of the premises remain in effect as enforcement agencies finalize their inquiries.
