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The Chief Secretary to the Government issued a circular on October 20, 2026, that prohibits all civil servants from using the Waze navigation application with immediate effect. Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar signed the letter, which was addressed to ministry secretaries-general, federal department heads, statutory body managers, state secretaries and local authority leaders. The directive requires these officials to communicate the ban promptly across their organizations, including all related agencies, while designating the National Cyber Security Agency as the coordinating body for implementation questions.
Anwar Ibrahim, who chaired the National Cybersecurity Committee Meeting No. 3 of 2026 that same day, elaborated on the risks in a subsequent Facebook post. The prime minister noted that Waze presents threats to information security and movement data because the application is bound under Israeli government laws. “We cannot compromise on the security of people’s data and identities,” Anwar Ibrahim said, according to the post that also endorsed a domestic replacement for the app.
The Malaysian Highway Authority developed the TuJu navigation application, which Anwar Ibrahim recommended as a secure local alternative in his public statement. This homegrown tool was created through the Prosignal Consortium to deliver mapping and traffic guidance without the jurisdictional concerns attached to foreign services. Government communications positioned the switch as a practical step to maintain data protection standards within the public sector.
Waze maintains operational ties to Israel under its terms of service even after Google acquired the company in 2013, according to a review by the Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association. Association president Siraj Jalil examined updates from July that identify Waze Mobile Ltd, incorporated and operating under Israeli law with an address in Tel Aviv, as the service provider. On October 7, Siraj Jalil publicly called for a nationwide prohibition on the app, citing the same data exposure risks that later informed the civil service directive.
Malaysia maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel and has consistently supported Palestinian positions, a stance that shapes its technology policy decisions involving Israeli-linked entities. The Waze prohibition for public servants emerged directly from the cybersecurity committee’s deliberations on these matters. Iraq has similarly signaled plans to block the application by the end of 2026, reflecting wider regional scrutiny of the platform’s origins as reported in multiple outlets.
The circular explicitly calls for full compliance from every ministry, department and agency to prevent lapses in enforcement. It instructs that all levels of the civil service receive notification without delay to uphold the prohibition uniformly. Officials seeking further guidance on operational details have been directed to contact the National Cyber Security Agency under the National Security Council.
