Malaysia bans Waze for civil servants, pushes TuJu navigation app amid security concerns
A circular issued on October 20 ordered civil servants to stop using the Waze navigation service, citing the app's continuous location tracking and its governance under Israeli law as potential risks to personal routines and sensitive sites. The decision followed a National Cyber Security Committee meeting led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The prime minister subsequently urged Malaysians to adopt the locally built TuJu app, which the Malaysian Highway Authority says has surpassed 700,000 downloads and now includes live CCTV feeds, an emergency SOS button, accident alerts and electric‑vehicle charging station listings, while its e‑wallet feature remains in the planning stage. Opposition figures have questioned TuJu's reliability and called for greater transparency about the project.
How this was covered
- Left-leaning outlets covered this 16h later
Why it matters
The ban affects how government employees travel and highlights broader concerns over foreign‑controlled data collection and the readiness of a domestic alternative.
How this story developed
- Oct 20 Malaysia pushes homegrown TuJu navigation app to replace Waze over security concerns
- Oct 22 DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng criticised TuJu as a national embarrassment and demanded accountability for the project.
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