PETALING JAYA: Civil servants need a reliable alternative app that offers accurate navigation and real-time traffic updates now that they have been barred from using Waze, say experts and users.
They could explore alternatives like Google Maps, subject to their respective departments’ regulations, Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Prof Dr Law Teik Hua said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when announcing the ban, had suggested home-grown app TuJu but it has proven to be a disappointment for many who tried it out.
“TuJu’s adequacy depends heavily on its ability to provide accurate directions, precise travel-time predictions and up-to-date traffic information under actual driving conditions,” Prof Law said.
He said authorities should assess TuJu’s traffic coverage, reliability and performance during peak hours before considering it a replacement for Waze.
“Ensuring that civil servants have a reliable navigation system to support road safety and operational efficiency should be a priority,” he said.
He added that authorities should develop clear guidelines on the use of navigation apps that were proportionate to the objectives of the restrictions.
While acknowledging that security concerns over the movement data of senior government officials could be valid, cybersecurity expert Fong Choong Fook said controls should apply more broadly to their use of digital applications, rather than targeting Waze alone.
“If national security is the concern, then the authorities should look beyond Waze. They should also consider other applications, which could have links to Israel,” he said.
Fong said restricting Waze would not address the underlying concern, as users could simply migrate to other navigation apps while continuing to share their location data with third parties.
Meanwhile, Malaysians who have downloaded TuJu have expressed disappointment with the app’s performance.
Social media user iamjsenghara said the app did not work as expected.
“I don’t see a clear, user-friendly interface or experience here,” she said.
A civil servant who wanted to be known only as Ahmad said he had also downloaded the app but encountered difficulties using it.
“I can’t even search for popular places such as KLCC or government buildings in Putrajaya,” he said.
Another civil servant, who wanted to be known only as Wong, said any navigation app replacing Waze must offer reliable route-finding, accurate directions and traffic avoidance features.
“Waze works, and we understand the security aspect of it. But the replacement must be usable,” he said.
Introduced on Nov 26 last year, TuJu is a highway navigation app developed by Prosignal in collaboration with the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM). Besides navigation, it provides traffic updates, information on highway facilities and emergency assistance for motorists.
LLM said it was working to resolve the technical disruptions affecting the TuJu app following the sharp increase in users.
In a statement, it said the matter was being resolved together with the application provider Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd.
“Efforts are underway to restore system stability and improve the application’s capacity to accommodate more users,” the statement added.
