hakimmahari@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) wants the government to review its ban on civil servants on Waze, questioning the lack of publicly available evidence that the navigation application poses a threat to national security.
In a statement today, DAPSY called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the government to adopt a more pragmatic and transparent approach to cybersecurity concerns.
It said Waze had been widely used by Malaysians for years, but the public had yet to be presented with sufficient evidence that the application had compromised national security or misused users' data.
"While DAPSY acknowledges the importance of strengthening cybersecurity, we question the rationale and justification of officials who proposed this blanket ban.
"Rather than reassuring the public, such a sweeping decision risks generating further questions and undermining public trust," it said.
The youth wing suggested that the government consider targeted safeguards for civil servants handling confidential information or performing sensitive duties, including military personnel, intelligence officers and senior security officials.
It said such measures would address potential security risks without imposing unnecessarily broad restrictions.
It also criticised the government's recommendation to replace Waze with the locally developed TuJu application, citing complaints from users over its technical shortcomings.
"Many users tried TuJu and highlighted technical shortcomings, proving that the application can hardly be a reliable and practical alternative.
"Banning a well-established application in favour of an alternative with significant technical issues risks further eroding public trust in government institutions," it said.
DAPSY urged the government to take public feedback seriously and reconsider the directive before the controversy escalated.
"It is not too late for the government to prevent this issue from becoming a farce," it said.
The youth wing maintained that national security and data protection were important priorities but stressed that decisions affecting the public should be supported by evidence and transparency.
"Safeguarding national security requires sound evidence, transparency and concerted efforts to build public trust."
Yesterday, the government announced a ban on the use of Waze among civil servants, citing concerns over the potential misuse of government information and users' personal data by the Israeli regime.
The Prime Minister's Office said the decision took into account Waze Mobile Ltd's status as a data controller incorporated and operating under Israeli law.
The government also encouraged Malaysians to consider the locally developed TuJu application as an alternative for road navigation.
The Malaysian Highway Authority earlier announced that TuJu was undergoing system improvements, temporarily disrupting its navigation function.
Its CCTV viewing feature and other available functions remained accessible.
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