KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 21): Malaysia has banned the use of the navigation app Waze among civil servants, citing concerns over the potential misuse of government information and users’ personal data by the Israeli regime.
The decision, made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, takes into account Waze Mobile Ltd’s status as the controller of user data and the fact that it is incorporated and operates under Israeli law, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday.
“Sensitive government information and Malaysians’ personal data must be protected from exploitation by the Israeli regime in ways that could jeopardise the country’s security and sovereignty,” Anwar said.
The statement follows a decision by the National Cyber Security Committee at its meeting on Tuesday. Bernama, citing a letter dated Oct 20, reported that Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar had directed all secretaries general and department heads to notify their officers, including those in related agencies and departments, of the ban for immediate implementation.
In addition, Anwar also urged Malaysians to stop using Waze and switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, citing the security assurances and personal data protection offered by the app.
“The Madani government maintains a firm stance and will close any avenues that could be exploited by the Israeli regime to threaten the security of the country and its people,” he added.
TuJu was developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) in collaboration with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd and launched by Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi on Nov 26, 2025.