Malaysia’s Network School probe raises questions over openness to tech talent

A controversy in Malaysia over a foreign tech community in Johor state has raised questions on whether immigration scrutiny and political sensitivities could slow the country’s push to attract digital nomads and other global talent.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.