PETALING JAYA: The ban on civil servants using the Waze navigation system is to protect government information and users’ personal data from being misused by the Israeli regime.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made the decision to enforce the ban, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
The Prime Minister, in fact, urged all Malaysians to stop using Waze and transition to local alternatives such as TuJu, taking into consideration the security assurances and personal data protection offered.
TuJu is a local navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
The PMO said Waze Mobile Ltd, which is incorporated and operated under Israeli law, was the controller of user data.
“Sensitive government information and the rakyat’s personal data must be protected against use by the Israeli regime in ways that could compromise the country’s safety and sovereignty,” it said in a statement yesterday.
“The Madani administration stands firm and we will close any route that can be exploited by the Israeli regime to threaten the country and rakyat’s safety,” said PMO.
Yesterday, a circular issued by the Chief Secretary to the government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar directed civil servants to stop using Waze immediately.
Dated Oct 20, the circular stated that the decision followed the National Cyber Security Committee (JKSN) meeting chaired by Anwar on the same day.
All ministry secretaries-general and heads of departments must ensure the decision is communicated to all officers under their supervision, including those in their respective agencies and departments, for immediate implementation.
The circular stated that any enquiries or requests for clarification on the directive should be highlighted to the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) under the National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Department, which is responsible for coordinating the matter.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Anwar said the meeting had looked into information security risks and the potential exposure of data on the public’s movements through Waze, given that it is subject to Israeli government laws, he added.
