Malaysia Bans Civil Servants From Using Waze App

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim banned all Malaysian civil servants from using the navigation app Waze, effective immediately. The decision followed a National Cybersecurity Committee meeting on October 20, where the Prime Minister cited security risks to the data and identities of citizens.

Anwar Ibrahim stated that because Waze was founded in Israel, the service is "bound to Israeli laws," creating risks concerning information security and movement data. To replace the app, the government recommended TuJu, a domestic mapping application developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority in partnership with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd.

Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar formalized the directive in a letter sent to the heads of government agencies. The National Cyber Security Agency will serve as the coordinating body to implement the ban across the civil service.