Waze ban applies only to public servants on official duties, says Gobind

Thursday 22 Oct 2026

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KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 22): The ban on the use of the Waze navigation app applies only to public servants carrying out official duties and does not extend to all Malaysians, a minister told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.

The restriction was imposed over security and legal concerns, as data collected through the app was linked to Israel and its use was subject to Israeli law, which could pose difficulties for Malaysians seeking legal recourse in the event of a dispute, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said.

“Even if we do not use the Waze app, our movements can still be tracked through the app,” he said.

On Wednesday, the government announced a ban on civil servants using Waze, citing the need to protect government information and users’ personal data from potential misuse by Israel. Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also urged Malaysians to stop using Waze and switch to local alternatives such as TuJu.

Waze is owned by Google and operated by Waze Mobile Ltd, which is incorporated in Israel. TuJu, meanwhile, is a local highway navigation and traffic information app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority in collaboration with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd.

Gobind stressed that the government had not restricted the public to using TuJu and that other navigation apps, including Google Maps, remain available.

Addressing concerns over TuJu’s capabilities, he said the app was initially designed to provide information on highway traffic conditions, including congestion at toll plazas and rest and service areas, as well as CCTV feeds.

The app is being further developed to expand its coverage beyond highways, including providing information on traffic flows towards specific highways, he added.

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Edited ByJason Ng

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