Malaysia bans civil servants from using Israeli-made Waze navigation app

Malaysia has prohibited civil servants from utilizing Alphabet's navigation application Waze, following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's assertion that its origins in Israel pose security risks. Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, maintains strong support for the Palestinian cause and does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Anwar stated on Tuesday that the government is investigating potential security hazards stemming from Waze's use, which he claimed is "linked to Israeli laws." In a Facebook post following a meeting of the national cybersecurity committee, Anwar emphasized the importance of safeguarding citizens' data and identities, while not disclosing the specifics of the risks.

He suggested that civil servants should instead use TuJu, a locally-developed mapping application by the Malaysian Highway Authority. Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar announced via letter to the heads of government agencies that all civil servants are now forbidden to use Waze. The directive, effective immediately, originated from a meeting chaired by Anwar.

An official from the Prime Minister's Department verified the letter's authenticity. Waze, which originated in Israel, employs satellite data and driver-contributed information to provide real-time traffic updates. The app was acquired by Alphabet's Google in 2013 for approximately $1 billion.