Malaysian civil servants have been instructed to stop using Waze for navigation, with the government citing concerns over national security and the safety of users’ location data.
According to a letter received by department heads, the directive was issued following the third meeting of the National Cyber Security Committee chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar reportedly instructed all ministries and agencies to inform their officers and implement the decision immediately.
Departments seeking clarification on how to enforce the directive have been advised to contact the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), which is responsible for coordinating the matter.
The restriction currently applies to civil servants and does not amount to a nationwide ban on Waze for the general public.
TuJu promoted as local alternative
Anwar has also encouraged Malaysians to consider TuJu, a local navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) in collaboration with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd. He said the move was partly driven by concerns over the security of Malaysians’ location data, noting that Waze is subject to Israeli laws.
TuJu was launched in Malaysia on Nov 26 last year and is being promoted as another option for drivers planning routes and navigating the country’s roads.
Anwar made the remarks after chairing the National Cyber Security Committee meeting, which discussed rising cyber threats, the implementation of the Cyber Security Act 2024, the security of the national digital identity system and preparations for future threats posed by quantum computing.
He stressed that protecting Malaysians’ personal data and identities remained a priority, adding that the country’s digital transformation must not come at the expense of security, public trust or national sovereignty.
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