NSC: Civil servants who defy Waze ban could face disciplinary action

Civil servants who defy the immediate ban on navigation app Waze could face disciplinary action, National Security Council (NSC) director-general Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said.

He said department heads would oversee compliance with the directive, issued through a circular by Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar...

Civil servants who defy the immediate ban on navigation app Waze could face disciplinary action, National Security Council (NSC) director-general Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said.

He said department heads would oversee compliance with the directive, issued through a circular by Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

“The directive takes effect immediately. Its implementation will generally be left to individual department heads.

“Any breach of a directive issued by the chief secretary carries disciplinary implications,” he told a briefing on national security issues today.

Nushirwan (above) therefore urged civil servants to stop using Waze immediately to prevent external parties from exploiting their movement data.

He said the government had adopted a phased approach, prioritising public education while balancing national data security concerns with individual freedoms.

Rather than imposing an outright ban on the public, the government wanted Malaysians to understand the security risks and make informed choices.

“We must always balance security concerns with human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of choice.

“Under this approach, we leave it to Malaysians to make their own decisions,” he said.

Periodic assessment

Nushirwan said the government would periodically assess the effectiveness of the approach before deciding whether further measures were necessary.

He cautioned that an immediate nationwide ban on Waze could send a negative signal to application developers and the broader information and communications technology sector.

Meanwhile, Nushirwan also encouraged Malaysians to uninstall Waze and switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).

READ MORE: TuJu: Guan Eng asks who gave PM wrong directions; highway board says sorry

Yesterday, the government announced a ban on Waze use by all civil servants, citing concerns over the potential misuse of government information and users' personal data by the Israeli regime.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the decision took into account Waze Mobile Ltd's status as a user data controller incorporated and operating under Israeli law.

READ MORE: 'Completely untrue': Waze denies data collection claim after govt ban

He also urged Malaysians to reduce their reliance on the app to strengthen personal data protection.

- Bernama