The Malaysian government has ordered an immediate ban on the use of the Waze navigation application by all public sector employees. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, cites significant data security concerns and the app’s developmental origins in Israel.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, the directive is intended to safeguard government information and citizens’ personal data from potential exploitation. The move follows a session of the National Cyber Security Committee, which reviewed the potential cybersecurity threats associated with the platform.
In an official directive, Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar instructed all heads of government institutions to enforce the ban across the entire civil service, effective immediately. Prime Minister Ibrahim has also recommended that civil servants transition to TuJu, a domestic mapping application developed by Malaysia’s highway authority, as a secure local alternative.
Malaysia, which maintains no formal diplomatic relations with Israel and actively supports the Palestinian cause, has taken increasing measures to align public sector practices with national foreign policy and security interests. Waze, which was developed in Israel and acquired by Google in 2013 for approximately $1 billion, provides real-time traffic updates and route planning through user-shared data and satellite signals.
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