The Johor state government has revoked the Forest City business license of NS0 Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., also known as Network School, and ordered the company to stop all operations in the area starting July 22, according to a statement by Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The statement said the decision was made following enforcement inspections and legal procedures. Johor said that even if a project has an investment background, authorities will apply “zero tolerance” if there are breaches of licensing conditions, immigration regulations, or risks tied to security and sovereignty.
Johor asks multiple agencies to continue the probe
The state government urged the Home Ministry, the Immigration Department, the police, and other relevant security agencies to continue investigating whether there was any misuse of second passports, false identity representation, or violations of entry conditions.
Johor also asked the Digital Ministry and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, or MDEC, to re-examine the project’s “Malaysia Digital” and related qualifications. It also called for tighter due diligence and stronger cross-agency coordination on the background of foreign-funded institutions, their sources of funds, and the narratives used in their operations.
What Network School is
The Network School was launched by former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan, who also wrote The Network State. Based on the source text, the project is essentially a paid co-living and coworking community.
Its residents include founders, engineers, creators, and digital nomads from more than 70 countries who live in the same compound. They pay about $1,000 to $2,000 a month, often in cryptocurrency, for a package that includes accommodation, three meals a day, gym access, coworking space, and various talks and Demo Day events. Its slogan is “Learn, Burn, Earn, Fun.”