KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is investigating a co-living community for “digital nomads” founded by former Coinbase chief technology officer and US investor Balaji Srinivasan, following claims it included Israelis in violation of immigration laws.
Malaysia is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The Immigration Department says that Israeli passport holders are barred from entering Malaysia. However, the country does not have laws preventing people with dual citizenship from travelling on non-Israeli passports.
The Network School, founded by Srinivasan in 2024, is described on its website as a “frontier community of techno-optimists” aimed at “turning internet communities into physical startup societies”.
Srinivasan has said the community was based on a man-made island “near Singapore”, and media reports confoirm that it is located in Forest City, a sprawling $100-billion development on reclaimed land in Malaysia’s Johor state.
The Network School is one of a number of groups backed by tech billionaires that have set up communities in various parts of the world to experiment with new forms of social organisation.
Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi on Tuesday had called on authorities to probe allegations by social media users that the Network School hosted Israeli nationals who had entered the country on second passports from other nations.
Johor state agencies would also re-examine the commune’s compliance with local regulations including licences, building use and business activities, Onn Hafiz said in a post on X on Tuesday.
The Home Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the immigration department, police and related agencies were investigating the claims raised by Onn Hafiz.
The investigation would seek among others to determine the identities and nationalities of individuals involved, the validity of the travel documents used, their purpose of entry into Malaysia, the ministry said.
“If the investigation finds any violation of the law, misuse of immigration passes, provision of false information or any other offence that affects national security and interests, strict action will be taken without any compromise,” it said.
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