On a Friday afternoon, Leslie Chan was preparing to drive from Rawang to meet a friend in Bangsar.
Instead of using his usual navigation app, Waze, he decided to put LAPAN Nav: Malaysia GPS – an Android app he developed – to the test.
“At the start, it was fine. Then it got disconnected and was not showing the route clearly. I had to stop my car twice just to reset the app,” he said in an interview with StarLifestyle.
Chan eventually made it to Bangsar, saying the app performed normally on the drive home. He said he was inspired to develop the navigation app after encountering problems with TuJu, a platform developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
TuJu was suggested as an alternative to Waze following the government’s Oct 20 announcement that civil servants are barred from using the latter app for official duties, citing national security and data privacy concerns.
The decision received support from several parties, including the Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA), which had previously urged the government to review the use of Waze over concerns that its new terms of service are subject to Israeli law.
“MCCA also supports efforts to encourage the use of homegrown navigation apps such as TuJu.
“We believe this initiative will not only promote the adoption of homegrown technology but also create opportunities for local app developers to grow and strengthen their technological capabilities,” MCCA head of legal bureau Nazri Yahya said in a statement.
For Chan, the growing interest in alternatives presented an opportunity to take matters into his own hands.
“Lapan, which means eight in Malay, comes after TuJu, which sounds like tujuh, or seven, in Malay. I saw how users were looking for other alternatives and thought I should try to build one using some AI tools,” said Chan, who runs a digital solutions agency.
Meanwhile, Klang-based Alan Chung, who is head of IT at a private company, developed a separate web-based navigation platform called Lapan Malaysia. Interestingly, its name is similar to Chan’s LAPAN Nav, although the two projects are unrelated.
Chung’s platform features an infinity symbol in its logo: “The symbol represents the limitless potential of Malaysian talent,” he said.
Chan meanwhile explained that the similarity in names is purely coincidental.
Another developer, Christopher Cheah Wen Feng, who describes himself as a full-time vibe coder, named his iOS app OpenTuJu, reflecting his intention to make it an open-source project.
“I also wanted to ride on the TuJu name. The initial idea was to push the limits of what vibe coding could achieve in developing a navigation app, especially following the feedback surrounding TuJu,” said Cheah, referring to the use of AI tools to assist in generating and developing software code.
According to LLM on Oct 22, TuJu was hit by technical disruptions following an increase in users when it recorded more than 700,000 downloads in one day, adding that its developers are working to improve system stability.
Paving the way
Meanwhile Muhammad Danish Syahmi Norisham, a university student based in Melaka, said his navigation app Pintaz: Malaysia Maps & GPS was not developed in response to the Waze issue.
The project began as an idea and prototype in December 2025 before becoming available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store several months later.
“Pintaz was not originally conceived as a navigation app.
It started with an idea called E-Drive Thru, where customers could order food through an app and drive to a restaurant to collect it.
“The app would notify the restaurant of the customer’s estimated arrival time so that the food would be ready when they arrived. This would allow any restaurant to offer a drive-through experience without having to build a dedicated drive-through lane.
“To make this concept work, I needed to develop my own navigation system. Eventually, navigation became the main product,” said Muhammad Danish Syahmi.
In May 2026, he decided to focus on developing a navigation platform tailored to Malaysian roads, incorporating features such as advance toll fare information, lane guidance at highway interchanges, speed camera alerts (AES/AWAS), motorcycle routes, voice navigation in Bahasa Malaysia, as well as prayer times and nearby surau locations.
“I’ve been working on the app independently alongside my studies. Thankfully, I have the support of family and friends to help test Pintaz,” he said, adding that the original restaurant concept remains part of the platform’s longer-term plans.
Pintaz was among the apps recommended by the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) as an alternative for civil servants.
Muhammad Danish Syahmi said the app has experienced a significant increase in downloads since the government announcement.
“Downloads across the Play Store and App Store increased from approximately 30,000 before Oct 20 to around 300,000 currently,” he said.
Daily users planning journeys also rose from an average of about 200 in the week before Oct 20 to a peak of more than 27,000 on Oct 22. The app averaged around 7,500 such users daily the following week, he added.
These figures are estimates provided by Muhammad Danish Syahmi and exclude users who access the app without logging in.
He said his app being included in Nacsa’s recommendations came with added responsibility.
“To me, this comes with a responsibility to ensure that users, including civil servants, can have confidence in the app’s safety and reliability.
“However, being included on the list does not amount to security certification, so I will continue working to strengthen the app’s security,” he said.
Building and maintaining the apps
Developing a navigation app involves more than putting a map on a screen.
Developers need to consider routing, location searches, traffic information, data services and the infrastructure required to support users.
Chung said he tested Lapan Malaysia on familiar routes to assess its performance under real-world driving conditions.
“The early challenges were GPS delays, recommendation of unsuitable routes and slow recalibration when the driver used a different route. My focus is on improving navigation issues through testing and user feedback,” he said.
Chung uses third-party services, including TomTom, as the primary routing provider.
Cheah meanwhile said that OpenTuJu uses OpenStreetMap data and open-source mapping technology such as MapLibre, while also incorporating Apple Maps into its iOS version.
However, the app does not yet offer real-time traffic updates, which Cheah said would be expensive to implement through paid application programming interfaces (APIs).
APIs allow different software services to communicate and exchange information. Developers can use paid APIs to access third-party services such as traffic information and route calculations, with charges often depending on usage.
“Ultimately, I want the app to work more like Waze, where a large user base contributes to generating real-time traffic information. As the number of users grows, the benefits to the app would outweigh the costs,” said Cheah.
He added that almost the entire project is open source, with his main expenses currently going towards subscriptions to AI tools, which cost about US$200 (RM812) monthly.
Chung said growing usage also means having to manage API costs.
“As usage grows, API costs can increase, so I’m reducing unnecessary requests while working to maintain reliable navigation. The additional API costs are still modest and manageable for me at the moment,” Chung added.
He estimated that developing Lapan Malaysia has cost him around RM2,000 so far, including subscriptions to AI tools.
For Chan, maintaining LAPAN Nav costs up to RM2,000, including server fees and other expenses.
Long-term plans
“To support a larger user base, the platform may eventually need investor backing to cover expenses such as cloud hosting and bandwidth. For now, the costs remain manageable as I focus on improving the app’s reliability,” he said.
Chan said LAPAN Nav combines several third-party services, with Google Cloud providing server hosting and voice-related functions, while Mapbox handles map display and car routing. The app also uses OpenStreetMap services for location searches and Spacemail for email services.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Danish Syahmi said development costs for Pintaz have so far amounted to tens of thousands of ringgit, which he has funded himself with support from his family and without external investors.
He said costs have been kept relatively low because he developed the app independently and used open-source technologies and mapping data, including OpenStreetMap.
While monthly operating expenses remain manageable at its current scale, Muhammad Danish Syahmi expects them to increase as the user base grows.
In the long term, he hopes to keep basic navigation services free for motorists, with revenue generated through optional additional features such as Garaj, which allows users to display their preferred 3D cars on the map.
“Revenue is still modest at this stage as my focus remains on growing the user base,” he said.
Data destination
With data privacy among the concerns raised in the government’s decision on Waze, how these locally developed platforms collect, process and store user information is another consideration.
Muhammad Danish Syahmi said Pintaz account data is stored in its own database on servers housed in a data centre in Singapore.
“I plan to move Pintaz’s servers to a data centre in Johor,” he said.
He explained that location information is used during navigation to provide directions and help display traffic conditions, and that this traffic information is not linked to users’ accounts.
For logged-in users, however, trip records are stored in their personal accounts so they can revisit destinations they have previously searched for.
Cheah said OpenTuJu does not require users to sign in or provide a user ID, as he wants to minimise the collection and retention of personal information.
He acknowledged, however, that introducing features such as accident and road closure reports in the future would require the platform to store some information.
“If we want Waze-like features, we will need somewhere to store information such as accident or road closure reports. I am considering allowing users to submit these reports anonymously, but this is still in the planning stage.
“I strongly believe that users do not want their journeys to be stored by any party, and this is something I am trying to avoid,” he said.
Chung said Lapan Malaysia does not store information such as email addresses, raw IP addresses or GPS coordinates.
“Lapan uses location permission for navigation and sends route coordinates to providers such as TomTom.
“Recent places stay in the user’s browser and can be cleared. No precise locations or journey histories, and users can opt out of analytics,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chan said the LAPAN Nav website provides a detailed breakdown of the data it collects, including users’ email addresses and road reports, as well as how the information is processed by its service providers and stored in databases in Singapore and the United States.
All four navigation services – Lapan Malaysia, Lapan Nav, OpenTuju and Pintaz – are available to use free of charge.
Getting the green light
Beyond the technical and financial challenges, local developers also have to contend with motorists’ preferences and habits built around established navigation platforms.
Muhammad Danish Syahmi said Waze and Google Maps have an advantage because they have been used for years and have built up large user communities.
“Navigation apps also depend on their users. The more people using them, the more accurate the traffic information and road reports can become,” he said.
Building users’ confidence also means ensuring that an app performs reliably, particularly when it comes to finding locations and estimating arrival times.
When a surge of users tried Pintaz last month, its servers came under heavy strain and the app slowed down. Muhammad Danish Syahmi said he has since increased its capacity.
He believes local developers should focus on solving problems faced by Malaysian motorists, listen to feedback and respond quickly to issues.
“Developers should be open about their apps’ shortcomings and willing to improve. I read users’ emails and comments every day,” he said.
Chung also acknowledges the responsibility that comes with developing a navigation app, particularly when motorists rely on it while driving.
“Lapan Malaysia is still being improved and is not 100% accurate. I review reported problems and test changes, but I encourage drivers to follow road signs and actual road conditions rather than rely entirely on the app. Safety must take priority over adding new features quickly,” he said.
Muhammad Danish Syahmi advised motorists to first test Pintaz on familiar routes, such as their daily commute or trips to a family member’s home, before using it for longer journeys.
“Once users know the roads, they can better assess whether the suggested routes and estimated arrival times make sense. After gaining confidence, they can gradually use it for longer trips,” he said.
He also advised users to set their destination, preferred voice language and vehicle mode before starting their journey, and to check routes and toll fares in advance for longer trips.
As Pintaz’s place-search function is still being improved, users can try searching for nearby landmarks if their intended destination does not appear. Muhammad Danish Syahmi encouraged motorists to report inaccuracies and share feedback to help improve the app.
On the emergence of other homegrown navigation platforms, he welcomes the growing interest among local developers.
“Having more choices is good for Malaysian users, while healthy competition encourages developers to improve their apps. Each application has its own strengths, and users can choose the one that best suits their needs,” he said.
Safety first
When contacted, Malaysian Road and Transportation Safety Association (MRTSA) secretary Mohammad Azizul Zulkipli said Safety By Design principles should guide the development of local navigation apps, warning against prioritising shorter travel times at the expense of road safety.
“Developers should ensure route recommendations take into account road conditions and the safety of other road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists and residents. Apps should be able to identify and avoid unsuitable or high-risk routes rather than simply calculate the fastest journey,” he said.
He added that apps should allow users to report hazards such as damaged roads, floods and road closures, with the information verified and updated to warn other motorists.
“Developers should collaborate with agencies such as the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), the police, Transport Ministry and Malaysian Highway Authority to obtain relevant road safety data. This information should be updated regularly so motorists can be alerted to potential hazards along their routes,” Mohammad Azizul added.
He said MRTSA also advises motorists to check their routes before setting off or after stopping somewhere safe, rather than handling their phones while driving.
“Users should plan their journeys and remember that app information may not always reflect actual road conditions. They must prioritise road signs, instructions from authorities and prevailing conditions over app directions, especially when a suggested route appears unsafe,” he said.
However, navigation apps should remain driving aids, not substitutes for human judgement, he added.
“Technology can help us find our way, but decisions on the road still require human judgement,” he said.
