PETALING JAYA: The government has banned civil servants from using the popular navigation app Waze, which was developed in Israel.
In a letter dated Oct 20, Chief Secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said the decision was made at a National Cybersecurity Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier that day.
"All heads of departments and secretaries-general must ensure that staff are informed of the decision for immediate implementation," the letter said.
It said the National Cyber Security Agency under the National Security Council of the Prime Minister’s Department was the coordinating agency for the directive’s implementation.
Anwar encouraged Malaysians on social media to consider using TuJu, a local navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
He cited concerns over Waze's personal data security and information on users' movements, given that the navigation app is subject to Israeli government laws.
Malaysia joins Iraq, which has announced a complete ban on Waze effective 2027.
Iran also previously blocked and restricted access to Waze due to its links to Israel.
In 2017, Malaysia was reported to have one of the highest numbers of Waze users in Asia, with about six million monthly active users, including around 2.5 million in Kuala Lumpur. Users generated nearly 1.2 million traffic alerts a month.
Google acquired Waze in June 2013 for about US$1.15 billion. The app was founded in Israel in 2008 by three Israeli entrepreneurs.