AMPANG, Oct 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday that any proposal to extend the Waze ban beyond civil servants to the wider Malaysian public would require careful study, but he stopped short of ruling out such a move entirely — provided credible local alternatives exist.
“It must be studied what are the alternatives first, and if we find that local capabilities are good enough then we may consider prohibiting Waze altogether,” Anwar told reporters after performing Friday prayers in Ampang.
Civil Servant Waze Ban: A Spontaneous Decision Rooted in Israeli Data Governance Concerns
Anwar once again defended the government’s decision to bar civil servants from using the Israeli-founded navigation app, describing the move as a necessary and urgent response to a national security concern — even while acknowledging it had not been brought before the Cabinet for deliberation.
“This is a heavy issue. When we checked, Waze’s headquarters is in Israel — that’s one thing,” he said.
“Then a check showed Waze is governed only by Israeli laws. This is why I had to take a spontaneous decision, because we cannot afford to delay even a single day… because all data are automatically handed to the Israeli government.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks confirm that the civil servant ban was issued unilaterally by his office, bypassing the standard Cabinet consultation process. Anwar framed the urgency as overriding procedural norms, citing the risk that sensitive government movement and location data could be exposed to a foreign government.
Nationwide Ban Contingent on Viability of Local Navigation Apps
While Anwar’s remarks on a broader, nationwide Waze ban were conditional rather than categorical, they signal that the government is actively weighing its options as public debate intensifies over the decision.
The discussion has brought renewed scrutiny to TuJu, a local navigation application developed by Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas) that the government pointed civil servants toward as an alternative to Waze. The app, however, has faced significant criticism following reports of glitches and performance failures, with Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil later directing highway concessionaire Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) and developer Prosignal to publicly explain the issues and outline a remediation timeline.
Opposition leader Lim Guan Eng has since demanded the government disclose the full cost, tender process, and approval chain behind TuJu, calling the situation a “national embarrassment.”
Fahmi: Malaysians Free to Use Any Navigation App Other Than Waze
Separately, Communications Minister Fahmi clarified that the Waze restriction applies specifically to civil servants in their official capacity and does not extend to the general public — for now.
Fahmi stated that Malaysians remain free to use any navigation application of their choice, including alternatives from overseas, with the singular exception of Waze. The clarification came as public concern mounted over whether the prohibition would be expanded to cover all users.
The minister’s statement effectively draws a firm line between the civil service ban — which is in force — and any potential nationwide prohibition, which Anwar has indicated remains under study and subject to the availability of viable local replacements.
Context: Why Waze Attracted Government Scrutiny
Waze was founded in Israel in 2008 and acquired by Google in 2013 for approximately US$1.1 billion. Despite being operated under Google’s global infrastructure, the app’s terms of service and underlying data governance framework retain elements subject to Israeli law — a detail that Malaysian officials say triggered their security review.
Malaysia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and has consistently maintained a strong pro-Palestinian foreign policy stance. The government’s concern centres on the possibility that real-time location data of civil servants — particularly those in sensitive ministries or security agencies — could, under Israeli legal frameworks, be accessible to or compelled by Israeli authorities.
Anwar’s administration has not presented technical documentation publicly to substantiate the specific data-transfer claims, but the Prime Minister maintained that the security rationale was sound and immediate action was warranted.
What Comes Next: Study, Alternatives, and Political Pressure
The government’s position as of October 23, 2026 can be summarised in three parts: the civil servant ban on Waze remains in effect; a nationwide ban is under consideration but not yet decided; and the viability of local alternatives — chiefly TuJu — is a central variable in that calculus.
The TuJu controversy has complicated the government’s narrative. If the app promoted as the official Waze replacement continues to underperform, it weakens the case for an expanded ban and invites further criticism over the handling of the entire episode.
Political pressure is also mounting from both sides. Supporters of the ban argue that digital sovereignty and data security must take precedence over convenience. Critics contend that the decision was rushed, lacked due diligence, and was made without proper institutional process — a charge Anwar himself did not entirely deflect, having described the directive as “spontaneous.”
The Prime Minister’s next steps — whether to formalise the civil servant ban through a Cabinet directive, initiate a formal review of Waze alternatives, or allow the controversy to recede — are likely to define how the episode is ultimately assessed.
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