Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday that any Israeli found in the country would be deported “immediately,” as authorities investigated allegations that Israeli citizens had joined a fledgling international tech community in the Muslim-majority nation.
“If we find any Israeli, we will deport them immediately because we do not recognize Israel,” Ibrahim told the English-language Free Malaysia Today outlet.
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country with sizable Buddhist and Christian minorities, does not have diplomatic relations with Jerusalem. Hamas’s “military wing” is known to operate in Malaysia.
Ibrahim said Israeli passport holders “will be deported if the allegations are proven true.” He added that “all relevant agencies are already conducting investigations.”
The premier was responding to reports that Israeli citizens with dual nationality had joined Network School, a community of “digital nomads” in Forest City, near the Singapore border.
Founded in 2024 by U.S. tech investor Balaji Srinivasan, Network School describes itself as a residential community for “techno-optimists,” charging $1,500 per month for accommodation, meals and shared facilities, including a gym.
The head of Malaysia’s Immigration Department told the New Straits Times on Thursday that the department continued to investigate the possible presence of Israelis in Forest City.
“So far, we have not found any evidence to verify the allegations regarding the presence of Israelis in the Network School program,” Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said. “Preliminary checks found that all those inspected possessed valid immigration documents based on current records.”
Immigration officials screened 266 foreigners from 40 countries during a visit to the community on Wednesday, he said, adding that authorities would conduct further checks if new information emerged about identity fraud, travel documents, immigration status or violations of visa conditions.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a JNS request for comment on Thursday.
The latest controversy comes after Bloomberg reported last year that Ibrahim’s advisers had urged him to tone down his public support for Hamas to avoid provoking tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the report, Malaysian officials were increasingly concerned that the new U.S. administration could impose higher tariffs on the Southeast Asian nation’s export-dependent economy.
More specifically, Kuala Lumpur feared Trump could target the country’s “burgeoning semiconductor industry and a raft of AI-powered data center investments,” Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, in which some 1,200 people were murdered in southern Israel, Ibrahim called the terrorist group’s then political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, to express his “unwavering support for the Palestinian people.”
He later accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, described its military campaign as “the height of barbarism” and referred to Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters.”
