The Immigration Department is tracking 19 of 430 foreign visitors linked to the Network School operations in Forest City, Johor, amid allegations of Israeli involvement.
CYBERJAYA: The Immigration Department (JIM) is tracking 19 of 430 foreign visitors linked to the Network School operations in Forest City, Johor, which has been alleged to involve Israeli nationals.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said efforts were under way to locate the 19 individuals and determine their immigration status.
Checks by the department found that 430 visitors had been identified in connection with the Network School issue; of these, 210 remain in Malaysia, 201 have left the country, and the movements of 19 individuals cannot be verified.
“We have 19 individuals whose movements cannot be traced. They may have left the country illegally or entered illegally.
“We are identifying their whereabouts and will conduct further investigations to determine whether they are still in Malaysia or have already departed,” he told reporters at the 2026 Immigration Day celebration, themed ‘Charting a New Face of Immigration’, graced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
Meanwhile, Zakaria said JIM was also working closely with other enforcement agencies, the Johor state government and local authorities in investigating the matter.
He added that checks carried out by the department found no evidence of passport misuse among the visitors inspected.
“They were travelling on valid passports issued by their respective countries,” he said.
Last week, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi called on the Home Ministry and relevant agencies to investigate the operations of the Network School in Forest City following allegations that it involved the participation of Israeli nationals.
He said the individuals were believed to have entered Malaysia using passports issued by a second country to participate in the programme, hence raising public concern.
The Home Ministry, through the Immigration Department, the Royal Malaysia Police and other relevant agencies, is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
The issue gained public attention after several posts, including videos shared on Threads, questioned the true purpose of the Network School operations and the alleged involvement of Israeli nationals.
