Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has encouraged Malaysians to consider switching to TuJu, a local navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), as an alternative to Waze.
This came after he raised concerns on 20 October over potential security risks associated with Waze, as the app operates under Israeli laws.
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Malaysian politician call for clearer explanation of Waze ban for civil servants
Following concerns raised by Anwar, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar announced that civil servants are prohibited from using the navigation app with immediate effect.
The ban has since prompted questions from Raub MP Chow Yu Hui, who called for a clearer explanation of the decision, particularly over concerns that users’ location data could be exposed to Israel.
According to BERNAMA, Chow also questioned how the risks posed by Waze compared with those of other popular US-owned apps, such as WhatsApp and Instagram.
He pointed out that the US itself has a history of surveilling foreign leaders and openly supports Israel. As such, he said the government should be transparent about the differences in security risks considered before making the decision.
“The United States has also been embroiled in revelations about the surveillance of foreign leaders, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On top of that, the US government also supports Israel.
“If Waze is banned because its company is supposedly based in Israel, despite Waze 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?” he said.
“Are other apps also exposed to the same security risks?”
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen also called for a clearer explanation of the ban, questioning whether other apps commonly used by the public could pose similar security risks.
He pointed out that while Waze’s database is said to be located in Israel, many other apps are also controlled by Jewish companies or individuals.
“Are they also exposed to the same security risks? I am not dismissing the possibility of security issues, but I believe a more detailed explanation is needed, as many people are now wondering why this decision was made and whether they are also exposed to these risks,” he said.
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