Immigration tracks 19 Network School foreign nationals who 'vanished' from official records

THE Immigration Department (JIM) is searching for 19 foreign nationals linked to Network School whose movements cannot be accounted for, raising the possibility that they may have either entered or left the country through illegal channels.

Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said investigations had identified 430 foreign nationals connected to the Network School programme, of whom 210 remain in Malaysia while 201 have been confirmed to have departed the country.

"Of that total, there are 19 individuals whose movements we have been unable to trace. They may have left the country illegally, or they may have entered the country illegally.

"This matter will be investigated further. We will determine whether they are still in the country or have already left," he told reporters after the 104th Immigration Day celebration on Tuesday.

The investigation follows widespread claims on social media alleging that Israeli nationals had participated in the Network School programme in Forest City, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, by entering Malaysia using passports issued by a second country.

The allegations prompted Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to direct the Home Ministry and relevant enforcement agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation to verify the claims.

As part of the probe, the Immigration Department (JIM) inspected 266 foreign nationals from 40 countries in Forest City. Preliminary checks found that all those inspected possessed valid immigration documents based on existing records, although further investigations are continuing to ensure full compliance with the Immigration Act 1959/63 and other relevant laws.

Zakaria said the department had carried out two immigration enforcement operations at locations linked to Network School in collaboration with other enforcement agencies, the Johor state government and local authorities.

He said both operations had found no evidence to substantiate the allegations surrounding the organisation.

"To date, after conducting two immigration inspections, we have not found any evidence to support the allegations," he said.

A total of 379 foreign nationals were inspected during the enforcement operations to verify compliance with Malaysia's immigration laws.

Addressing allegations that some individuals possessed and used two passports, Zakaria said the department had not detected any such cases among those inspected.

According to him, all the individuals examined had used valid passports, while Malaysia's immigration system is capable of detecting cases where a person enters and exits the country using different travel documents.

"If a person consistently uses the same passport, our system cannot determine whether that individual also possesses another passport. However, if someone enters the country using one passport and leaves using a different passport, the immigration biometric system will detect it automatically," he said. - July 21, 2026