KUALA LUMPUR: The government is prepared to go one step further from its action to bar civil servants from using Waze – it may ban the navigation app altogether if there are other alternatives.
There is a possibility of a complete ban on Waze if there are other proper navigation apps available, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said this was because the country’s security must not be jeopardised just for “the comfort of an Israeli app”.
“Surely, just because things become a little more difficult for us, we would not be willing to hand over our information to the Israelis, would we? As for government employees, I will not allow it, under any circumstances.
“We need to study what alternatives are available. This is a matter of national security,” said Anwar.
He further confirmed that Waze could involve foreign intelligence operations, as it is not only based in Israel but is also bound by Israeli law.
The Prime Minister, speaking after performing Friday prayers in Ampang, responded to public reaction to his recent decision to ban civil servants from using the app.
“If the issue concerns national security, it must be taken seriously. How can civil servants compromise on this?
“I checked on Waze during our cybersecurity meeting two or three days ago when I received the information.
“We looked into it. First, its headquarters is in Israel. Second, under the agreement, if you use Waze and a problem arises, the law that determines the outcome is Israeli law. It is not subject to the laws of other countries.
“That is why I took action. We should not delay the decision by even one day.
“Some people said: ‘You should be patient first and investigate.’ I said: ‘It has already been confirmed!’
“If you use the app Waze, it automatically hands over all information to Israel,” said Anwar.
He also called on Malaysians to be patient and use other navigation apps for now until the local TuJu app is completely ready.
“It turns out that it is not fully developed. So now, Digital Minister Gobind Singh has explained that we should use any other alternative.
“Even if it is not as sophisticated, that is fine. We can improve it.
“It is better to be safe than to hand over confidential information about the state, your personal information, and our country’s information to Israel,” said Anwar.
He said that although he has been criticised for acting hastily and rashly, national security is more important.
“We are among the countries that strongly oppose the cruel Zionist Israeli regime. Naturally, our actions will be monitored. People need to understand.
“Although I know TuJu has its shortcomings, use other alternatives for the time being. Please be patient. Find another way. Even if the journey is a little longer, that is acceptable compared to handing over information to Israel,” he added.
The Prime Minister, in a Facebook post later, also apologised for any inconvenience the ban may have caused the public.
“I apologise if the decision to ban this navigation application, which belongs to the Israeli regime, causes inconvenience to the public.
“However, the security of the nation and its people cannot be compromised, as we must uphold national sovereignty and protect the personal information of our citizens,” he said.
Anwar had recently urged Malaysians to use TuJu instead of Waze, but many have found the local app to be technically inferior to Waze, even causing some problems.
“There are many companies that have links with Israel, including American, French and other companies.
“But, as far as we have been able to determine, none of them is both headquartered in Israel and subject to Israeli law,” said Anwar.
Waze, meanwhile, has denied claims that it misuses personal data.
“Claims that Waze collects sensitive government information or allows any entity to exploit personal user data are completely false.
“Waze operates under strict privacy policies that protect user data and comply with global legal data protection standards,” a spokesperson said.
