Civil servants who defy Malaysia’s Waze ban could face disciplinary action, while the public is urged to consider local navigation alternatives.
PETALING JAYA: Government employees who disregard the directive banning the use of navigation app Waze could face disciplinary action, National Security Council (MKN) director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said.
Speaking at a briefing on national security issues today, he said heads of department were responsible for ensuring their staff complied with the directive.
The directive, issued through a circular by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, took immediate effect.
Raja Nushirwan said enforcement would largely be the responsibility of individual department heads, adding that failure to comply with an instruction from the chief secretary could result in disciplinary action.
He urged civil servants to stop using Waze immediately to prevent external parties from exploiting data about their movements.
For the general public, however, the government was adopting a phased approach rather than imposing an outright ban. The focus would be on educating Malaysians about the potential security risks to help them make informed decisions, he said.
Raja Nushirwan said security concerns had to be balanced against human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of choice, with the final decision on whether to use the app resting with individuals.
The government would periodically review the effectiveness of this approach before deciding whether further measures were necessary, he added.
He also cautioned that an immediate nationwide ban could send the wrong signal to app developers and the wider information and communications technology (ICT) industry.
Raja Nushirwan encouraged Malaysians to uninstall Waze and consider local alternatives, including TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
The government announced yesterday that civil servants were prohibited from using Waze, citing concerns that the Israeli regime could misuse government information and users’ personal data.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the decision took into account the fact that Waze Mobile Ltd, the app’s data controller, was incorporated and operated under Israeli law.
He also urged Malaysians to reduce their reliance on the app to better protect their personal data.