Anwar Advises Malaysians Against Using Waze. Here’s Why
The prime minister urged the public to consider shifting to TuJu, a local navigation application developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has advised Malaysians to refrain from using the popular navigation application Waze, citing concerns over data security and national privacy
Speaking after chairing a National Cyber Security Committee meeting on Wednesday, 21 October, Anwar said that the committee had examined security risks associated with Waze, noting that the platform is subject to Israeli government jurisdiction and laws, according to FMT.
Given potential vulnerabilities involving user movement tracking and personal identification data, Anwar urged the public to consider switching to TuJu, a local navigation application developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
"The government cannot compromise on the security of Malaysians' data and identities," Anwar said in an official social media post, adding that the authorities were prioritising national digital sovereignty.
Waze was founded in Israel in 2008 by three tech entrepreneurs before tech giant Google acquired it in June 2013 for approximately USD1.15 billion (RM4.69 billion)
Malaysia represents one of Waze's largest Asian markets, with historic user data showing roughly six million monthly active users nationwide, including 2.5 million active drivers in Kuala Lumpur alone, generating nearly 1.2 million monthly traffic reports.
Malaysia is not the first nation to raise concerns about the platform. Iran previously blocked and restricted public access to Waze due to its origins and regulatory ties to Israel.
The National Cyber Security Committee meeting also evaluated the ongoing rollout of MyDigital ID alongside emerging operational risks posed by autonomous AI tools
Anwar reiterated that the government is reinforcing its integrated identity system, utilising the physical MyKad alongside MyDigital ID for secure online transactions, backed by enhanced cybersecurity protocols to ensure public digital services remain safe, trustworthy, and sovereign.
