Malaysia’s Network School probe raises questions over openness to tech talent
The commune’s founder says further investments in Malaysia are on hold and he may move his funds out depending on talks with the authorities
Johor authorities are investigating Network School, a private co-living and co-working community based in Forest City and founded by American tech investor and former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan, following online allegations that Israelis were involved in the project and had entered Malaysia using secondary passports.
For 38-year-old Malaysian digital nomad Harinder Singh, however, the episode is unlikely to deter global remote workers from considering living and working in Malaysia. What matters is whether the country is affordable, connected and transparent about its rules, according to Harinder.
“Digital nomads don’t really make decisions based on news cycles like this,” said Harinder, who has worked remotely for more than a decade between cities in Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
“Incidents like this get attention, but the real decision factors are visa clarity, cost of living, internet reliability and community.”