KUALA LUMPUR: Two members of parliament (MPs) have called on the government to explain its decision to ban civil servants from using Waze, questioning the rationale and effectiveness of the restriction.
Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (Pas-Alor Setar) said that if Waze was considered dangerous because of its Israeli origins, its use should be prohibited for all Malaysians, not just civil servants.
"If Waze is truly dangerous, then it should not be allowed in Malaysia. Everyone should be prohibited from using Waze, not just civil servants," he said during the debate on the Supply Bill 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat.
Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub) also called on the government to explain the basis for the ban and assess its effectiveness.
Chow questioned whether the directive applied to civil servants' personal phones and their use of the application outside working hours.
"If the government is concerned that location data could be exposed to Israeli companies and the Israeli government, will it also ban US applications such as Google Maps, Instagram and WhatsApp?
"What is the difference in security risks that justifies banning Waze while allowing other applications?
"If Waze is being banned on the grounds that it belongs to an Israeli company, despite having been owned by Google since 2013, what is the difference in data security risks between Waze and Google Maps, which are owned by the same parent company?
"Therefore, I hope the government will explain the basis for its assessment in banning Waze among civil servants," he said.
The government has directed all civil servants to stop using Waze with immediate effect.
The decision was made at a National Cyber Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
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