Malaysia has barred civil servants from using the Waze navigation app, a decision that has become one of the most debated national stories of the past week. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s office announced the ban on October 21, 2026, after the National Cyber Security Committee, chaired by Anwar, decided on it a day earlier. A circular from Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar told heads of agencies that the order takes effect immediately and applies when officers are performing official duties.
The government gave two reasons. First, location data collected from many users can reveal movement and activity patterns, which National Security Council director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said could be highly sensitive for civil servants. Second, Waze Mobile Limited, the app’s operator, is incorporated in Israel, and its new terms of use state that the service is governed by Israeli law, so any legal dispute would be handled under that legal system even though Malaysia does not recognise Israel. Waze, founded in Israel in 2006, was bought by Google for about US$1 billion in 2013.
Anwar has defended the decision as a matter of national security and acknowledged that it was not first deliberated by the Cabinet. On Friday, October 23, he said a nationwide ban would require careful study of alternatives and could be considered if local capabilities prove adequate. The National Security Council has said civil servants who defy the order face disciplinary action, and a minister told the Dewan Rakyat that the ban does not extend to the general public. Anwar has urged Malaysians to consider local alternatives.
Reaction has been mixed. BDS Malaysia has backed the move and called for a public boycott, while some MPs have asked for clarity and argued that if the app is a risk, it should be banned for everyone. Iraq has announced plans to ban Waze from next year, and Iran has restricted it before.
What to watch: how the ban is enforced, whether the rule is extended to the wider public, and whether Waze or Google responds publicly. Readers who use the app on official duty should check their agency’s circular.
Sources: Bernama, NST, The Star, The Edge, Reuters, Times of Israel, AsiaOne, Malay Mail (October 21–23, 2026). Compiled October 27, 2026.
No comments:
Post a Comment