Balaji Srinivasan built Network School as a working prototype of the “network state,” his theory that an internet country of engineers and founders can eventually do the work of a real one. This week a real one reminded him who still holds the passports.
The former Coinbase chief technology officer and Andreessen Horowitz partner said on 15 July that a Malaysian immigration operation at his co-living commune in Forest City, Johor, had put the country’s own ambitions to court mobile tech workers at risk.
He was suspending US$500 million (RM500 million) in planned investment, he added, until residents were assured they would not be treated as illegal immigrants, on top of the more than US$100 million he said was already committed.
The operation itself was brief. On 14 July, officers inspected 266 foreigners from 40 countries at the site, according to figures released by immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban.
Of those, 256 held social visit passes and 10 held professional visit passes issued under DE Rantau, Malaysia’s digital nomad scheme. Shaaban said every travel document checked out, and that officers found no evidence for the claim that had prompted the visit in the first place.The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
