Malaysia Bans State Employees From Using Waze Over Israeli Ties
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
Malaysia has banned state employees from using the navigation app Waze, citing security concerns over its Israeli origins. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated the app is subject to Israeli laws, posing data risks. The government is encouraging the use of a local app, TuJu, and the ban follows similar intentions announced by Iraq. Waze was previously very popular in Malaysia.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Malaysia banned state employees from using Waze due to security concerns over its Israeli origins.
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cited potential data risks and the app being subject to Israeli laws.
- The directive is effective immediately and was communicated via an official letter to government agencies.
- Malaysia is promoting its local navigation app, TuJu, as an alternative.
- Iraq also recently announced plans to block Waze because of its Israeli roots.
Malaysia has prohibited its state employees from using the navigation app Waze due to security concerns raised by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, citing its Israeli origins. The directive, effective immediately, was communicated to heads of government agencies in an official letter following a National Cyber Security Committee meeting chaired by Ibrahim on Tuesday. The Chief Secretary to the Government, Maszely Azry Abu Bakar, instructed ministry and public body heads to relay the order to their staff.
The decision stems from Ibrahim's assertion that Waze poses information security and user traffic data risks because it is subject to Israeli laws, though he did not provide specific details on the alleged risks. The National Cyber Security Agency will coordinate inquiries regarding the directive.
Alongside the ban for government workers, Malaysia is promoting its local navigation app, TuJu. Developed for the country's highway authority in partnership with a local firm, TuJu offers route planning, traffic information, toll calculations, and access to traffic cameras.
This move could significantly impact Waze's popularity in Malaysia, where it had approximately six million monthly active users in 2017, including 2.5 million in Kuala Lumpur. Iraq also recently announced intentions to block Waze due to its Israeli origin, with the Iraqi Communications Minister stating the ban will take effect by the end of December 2026, earlier than previously planned.
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