Why only now, Shahril asks on timing of Waze ban for civil servants

Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has expressed concern over the timing of the government's decision to ban the use of Waze among civil servants. The navigation app's links to Israel have been known for years, and Shahril questioned why concerns over Waze only emerged now. He also doubted whether the government has a serious, long-term strategy to decrease Malaysia's reliance on foreign technology.

Shahril urged the government to prove its commitment to technological sovereignty and data security, rather than simply sensationalising the issue. He further questioned the promotion of the locally developed navigation app TuJu as a replacement for Waze, stating that it is not yet ready to compete with established platforms. Shahril cautioned against reducing the controversy to a debate over support for Israel or Palestine, noting that the issue is more complex and requires a genuine government plan.

Co-host and Muda deputy president Zaidel Baharuddin defended the push for locally developed navigation technology, emphasizing that Malaysia should not give up on developing TuJu due to its current limitations. He acknowledged the app's technical weaknesses but pointed out that platforms like Waze and Google Maps improve in effectiveness as their user bases grow, resulting in better real-time traffic data.

Zaidel highlighted that developing local geospatial technology is crucial for national security, particularly for sensitive operations involving the military and police. He emphasized that TuJu's shortcomings should be addressed without abandoning the broader goal of enhancing Malaysia's technological sovereignty.