Updated
Updated · The Vibes · Jul 27
Johor Council Shuts Network School, Revokes License Effective July 22
Updated
Updated · The Vibes · Jul 27

Johor Council Shuts Network School, Revokes License Effective July 22

3 articles · Updated · The Vibes · Jul 27

Summary

  • Iskandar Puteri City Council ordered Network School in Forest City to close and revoked NSO Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s business license, with the shutdown taking effect on July 22.
  • MBIP said it acted after reviewing an inspection report and enforcement findings, and Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state government fully backed the decision reached at a special full council meeting.
  • The closure hits a technology community pitched as an incubator for startups and digital talent, raising concerns that Johor could deter high-tech investors and part of the world’s 30–35 million digital nomads.
  • The episode feeds a wider debate over Malaysia’s innovation model, with critics arguing policy uncertainty, bureaucracy and brain drain have already pushed homegrown ventures to scale abroad instead of locally.

Insights

If Malaysia wants a top startup ecosystem by 2030, why did a high-profile Forest City founder community end in closure?
Is Network School’s shutdown an isolated licensing case, or proof Malaysia lacks clear rules for modern live-work startup communities?