JOHOR BARU: Forest City has welcomed the government’s swift action in investigating matters involving Network School, saying it has fully cooperated with the authorities throughout the process.
The master developer said it appreciated the professionalism shown by the relevant enforcement agencies and welcomed the findings announced so far.
It also noted Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo’s statement that any alleged breach of the law or licensing requirements must be thoroughly investigated, with appropriate action taken if any wrongdoing is found.
ALSO READ: Network School: Any breach of law or licensing must be probed, says Gobind
"Forest City has always operated in strict accordance with Malaysian laws, government policies and regulatory requirements.
"No tenant, operator or organisation is above the law," it said in a statement on Tuesday (July 21).
It added that matters involving licensing, immigration or regulatory compliance should be determined through due process by the relevant authorities.
Forest City said its role as master developer was to support the Johor government’s vision of developing the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and the Forest City Special Financial Zone into globally competitive hubs for high-value investments, digital innovation and emerging industries.
The company said Network School was among the organisations drawn to the investment ecosystem but stressed that, like every investor, tenant and operator in Forest City, it remained subject to Malaysian laws, licensing requirements and regulatory oversight.
ALSO READ: Network School puts RM500mil investment in Malaysia on hold, seeks meeting with PM Anwar
It added that Forest City neither grants regulatory exemptions nor assumes the role of regulator or enforcement agency.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on breaches of the law, licensing conditions, immigration regulations, or misuse of premises, the company said it would exercise its full legal and contractual rights should investigations establish any legal, licensing, immigration, land-use or contractual violations.
Forest City also expressed confidence that the outcome of the investigations would strengthen public and investor confidence in the Forest City Special Financial Zone, adding that it looked forward to working with the government and industry partners to attract more world-class information technology and artificial intelligence companies while contributing to Johor and Malaysia’s economic growth.
The Network School recently came under scrutiny following allegations that Israeli nationals were among its participants.
The authorities launched investigations into its operations and regulatory compliance, but immigration checks later found no evidence of Israeli passport holders on the premises.
