Waze ban for civil servants takes into account national security and sovereignty risks – PM

MELAKA: The government is reviewing measures to prohibit civil servants from using the Waze navigation application, taking into account national security and sovereignty concerns, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) Chairman, said the move was not intended to impose a blanket ban on Waze but rather to address the risks of monitoring the movements of government officers, particularly those handling national security matters.

“I want to explain why the Waze issue was raised. Firstly, this is not solely about the Waze application itself, but its connection to a company headquartered in Israel.

“Secondly, there is the question of legal jurisdiction should a dispute arise with the company. Under certain circumstances, agreements involving international companies may raise questions about which courts have jurisdiction to resolve disputes,” he said.

He was speaking at the Melaka PH Candidate Announcement and Election Machinery Launch Ceremony for the Melaka State Election at Hang Jebat Stadium here last night.

Also present were DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke, Amanah President Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, PKR Vice-President and PH Election Director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, and Melaka PH Chairman Datuk Seri Adly Zahari.

The Prime Minister said any further decision on a nationwide ban on Waze would only be made after assessing whether existing alternatives had sufficient capabilities.

Acknowledging shortcomings in the implementation of measures concerning Waze, Anwar said he accepted public criticism, including feedback on the performance of the locally developed navigation application TuJu, which he admitted still had weaknesses and required improvements.

“I am not saying that the decisions made previously were perfect. There is still room for improvement.

“However, we also cannot leave matters involving national security and national interests in the hands of external parties without assessing the risks. If better alternatives are available, the government will examine them,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government must ensure that every measure taken does not undermine Malaysia’s position on Israel’s actions or compromise national interests.

Anwar said Malaysia, as a sovereign nation, had the right to determine its own position, including on the Palestinian issue.

In a related development concerning the cost of living, he stressed that the government would not increase the price of RON95 petrol from RM1.99 per litre as long as the MADANI Government retained its mandate to govern the country, despite a significant rise in global crude oil prices.

Anwar said the government had chosen to absorb the additional costs to prevent Malaysians, particularly those in the lower- and middle-income groups, from facing an additional financial burden due to higher petrol prices.

“It is better for the government to bear the burden than to burden the people,” he said, stressing that protecting public welfare would remain a key consideration in the implementation of government policies.

At the event, Anwar announced 21 candidates who will represent PH in the Melaka State Election scheduled for November 14.

BERNAMA