The Johor Chief Minister, Dato’ Onn Hafizl Ghazi, issued a statement saying the state government is aware of and takes the people’s concerns seriously regarding the Network School operations in Forest City. The Network School operations in Johor have been the focus of much attention because its founder Balaji Srinivasan once labelled himself as a “Technological Zionist” and alleged involvement of Israelis using second passports who joined the school.
He stressed that the state government will not allow any party to make Johor a site to bring ideology or movements that contradict the law, sovereignty and interests of the state and country.
Among the dreams that Srinivasan has expressed is to form an online community consisting of founders, creators and remote technology workers who eventually obtain physical territory. Subsequently, this community strives to gain international recognition as a sovereign country with Forest City seen as the first location where this technocratic country was founded.
The state government has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, the Royal Malaysian Police, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and security agencies to conduct an investigation into Network School. This is in the form of confirming the identity & nationality of the individuals involved, travel documents & use of second passports, type of pass & purpose of entry and actual purpose of entry and actual activities
Federal agencies are also asked to determine the status of Network School's operations and whether it requires registration or approval under national laws. Meanwhile, the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), the Johor Land and Mines Office (PTG) and related agencies will check the premises licenses, accommodation, and various business activities to see if they have been approved or not.
If the investigation finds violations of the law, misuse of passes, violations of license conditions or elements that affect state/national security, strict action will be taken without compromise.
The existence of Network School in Forest City has long been the talk of the internet. The housing area, nicknamed Ghost Town due to its low population, has received global attention after being featured in dozens of YouTube videos as it is considered one of the most unprofitable construction projects in world history. All of Network School's promotional videos say their location is "near Singapore" and refuse to say they are located in Malaysia, angering the country's citizens.
To revive Forest City, the Forest City Special Financial Zone (FCSFZ) was announced by the Madani government with a 0% tax rate that will be given to eligible Single Family Office Schemes for a period of 10 years.
