Technology and Scienceupdated 53m ago2 min read
Malaysia Orders Civil Servants To Stop Using Waze After Anwar Ibrahim Cites Israeli Ties
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Malaysia bans civil servants from using Waze over security concerns tied to Israeli origins. Ban took immediate effect following National Cyber Security Committee meeting chaired by Anwar Ibrahim.
Waze ban in Malaysia
Malaysia ordered government employees to stop using the navigation app Waze, effective immediately, after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised concerns over data security and Waze’s Israeli legal ties. Anwar said the government could not compromise on the security of people's data and identities, and he argued that the app “was bound to Israeli laws.” Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Malaysia’s Chief Secretary to the Government, formalized the ban in a letter dated Tuesday addressed to heads of government agencies, and an official with the Prime Minister’s Department confirmed its authenticity.
Malaysia’s government encouraged the use of a homegrown alternative, TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as a substitute for road navigation. Waze was developed in Israel and built its navigation service around satellite positioning and crowdsourced reports from drivers, and Google acquired the company in 2013 for about $1 billion.
Cybersecurity committee decision
Anwar Ibrahim chaired a cybersecurity committee meeting that preceded the ban, and the directive took effect immediately following the decision taken during that meeting. Anwar told the public that the government was analyzing possible security risks arising from the use of Waze, while he highlighted that the application “is subject to Israeli laws.” Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar reported in a letter addressed to the heads of government agencies that all public officials were prohibited from using Waze, and the letter stated the directive responded to the meeting chaired by Anwar.
The ban also appeared in a statement attributed to Anwar’s office, which said the decision took into account the status of Waze Mobile Limited as a data controller incorporated in Israel and operating under Israeli law. The statement urged Malaysians to switch to local alternatives such as the TuJu application, and it framed the policy as protecting “Sensitive government information and the personal data of citizens.”
TuJu promoted, Waze details
Malaysia’s government promoted TuJu as the alternative to Waze, describing it as developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority and launched by Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi on Nov 26, 2025. Malay Mail said TuJu provides route information, travel distance, estimated time of arrival (ETA), toll and real-time traffic information, and it also offers rest and service area (R&R) facilities, live CCTV access and emergency assistance. The ban’s rationale centered on Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that Waze was bound to Israeli laws, and the government’s concerns focused on the app’s Israeli origins rather than a specific technical vulnerability.
Waze, which uses satellite signals and crowd-sourced data from drivers to offer real-time traffic information, was acquired by Alphabet-owned Google in 2013 for about $1 billion. The directive left Waze’s broader availability unclear in the sources, with one report stating the directive included banning Waze for government employees without implying a ban for all Malaysians.