Malaysia has barred all civil servants from using the Waze navigation app, with the government citing the risk that official information and users’ location data could be exploited by Israel, according to Rappler.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the decision rests on the status of Waze Mobile Ltd, which acts as the data controller for information collected through the app and is incorporated and operating under Israeli law. “Sensitive government information and the personal data of the people must be protected from being exploited by the Israeli regime in ways that could jeopardise the country’s security and sovereignty,” he said.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office and carried by Bernama, Anwar said the government’s stance is firm and that it “will close any avenues that could be exploited by the Israeli regime to threaten the security of the country and its people”. He urged Malaysians to move to local alternatives such as TuJu.
The directive was set out in a circular dated 20 Oct from Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar to ministry secretaries-general, federal department heads, state secretaries, heads of federal statutory bodies and local authority chiefs. The letter, reviewed by Reuters, stated that the prohibition takes effect immediately. An official at the Prime Minister’s Department confirmed its authenticity.
Anwar raised the issue a day earlier, telling a Facebook post that Waze “was bound to Israeli laws” and that the government could not compromise on the security of people’s data and identities. He spoke after chairing a meeting of the National Cyber Security Committee, where the matter was discussed.
The restriction drew questions in the Dewan Rakyat on 21 Oct, where two members of parliament asked for the basis of the ban and how it would be enforced, NST reported.
Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (Pas-Alor Setar) said an application judged dangerous should be prohibited for all Malaysians, not only for civil servants. “If Waze is truly dangerous, then it should not be allowed in Malaysia,” he said during the debate on the Supply Bill 2027.
Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub) asked whether the order covers personal phones and use outside working hours. He also questioned how the risk from Waze differs from that of other applications run by United States companies. “What is the difference in data security risks between Waze and Google Maps, which are owned by the same parent company?” he asked.
Waze was founded in Israel and uses satellite signals and crowd-sourced reports from drivers to provide live traffic information. Google, owned by Alphabet, bought the app in 2013 for about US$1 billion, and Waze Mobile Ltd remains incorporated there.
Anwar recommended TuJu, a domestic navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as an alternative for road users. Malaysia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause. The committee recorded its decision at Meeting No. 3/2026, which Anwar chaired on 20 Oct.
