Israeli Politicsupdated 51m ago2 min read
Malaysia Considers Complete Ban On Waze After Anwar Ibrahim Cites National Security Concerns
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Malaysia barred civil servants from using Waze over Israel links and data security concerns. Anwar Ibrahim says a complete nationwide Waze ban is under consideration with a local replacement option.
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Malaysia weighs total Waze ban
Malaysia barred civil servants from using Waze for official duties over links to Israel and national security concerns, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said a complete ban is under consideration. Anwar told reporters that “The Waze issue is of great importance to us; firstly, its headquarters are in Israel,” and he added that the app’s terms of use subject disputes to Israeli law.
Anwar said Malaysia would not compromise on the issue, warning that “using Waze automatically means surrendering all data to Israel,” and he framed the matter as “national security and public safety.” Malaysia’s National Security Council warned that civil servants who defy the immediate ban “could face disciplinary action,” while Malaysia’s Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo told parliament that the prohibition applied to civil servants carrying out official duties.
Waze rejects data claims
Waze rejected Malaysia’s data security claims after the civil servant ban, and a Waze spokesperson told AFP that “Claims that Waze collects sensitive government information or allows any entity to exploit personal user data are completely false.” Anwar said Malaysia needed to look into alternatives to Waze, and he told reporters that if “our capabilities are good enough in the future, we may consider banning it altogether”.
Malaysia’s government urged citizens to switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, and Anwar said the decision aimed to protect government information and users’ personal data from misuse by the Israeli regime. Lim Guan Eng said many Malaysians complained that TuJu was “ineffective and should not be made a compulsory substitute for Waze,” as Malaysia faced public backlash over the restrictions.
Alternatives, sovereignty, and next steps
Anwar said Malaysia is studying what alternatives are available, and he told the media that if “tomorrow we see that our own capabilities are good enough, then we might—there is a possibility that we will ban it entirely.”
Anwar also said the controversy was tied to the alternative being “slow [sluggish],” while he insisted that “our decision is not a controversy! This is a matter of national security.”
The Straits Times reported that Anwar said civil servants should not compromise on security, and he argued that if you use Waze “it automatically hands over all information to Israel.”
The Malaysian Highway Authority apologized for TuJu service disruptions after a sudden surge in users, and it said it expects navigation services to stabilize within two weeks.