Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country and has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
By Shula Rosen
Malaysia has barred civil servants from using Waze after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised security concerns over the navigation app’s Israeli origins and handling of user data.
Malaysia’s chief secretary to the government, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, issued the directive following a national cybersecurity committee meeting chaired by Anwar on Tuesday, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters. The order, addressed to the heads of government agencies, took effect immediately.
Anwar said Tuesday that authorities were examining potential security risks associated with Waze, saying the app “was bound to Israeli laws.”
“We cannot compromise on the security of people’s data and identities,” Anwar wrote in a Facebook post after the meeting.
He did not provide details about the potential risks identified by the government. Anwar recommended TuJu, a Malaysian mapping application developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as an alternative to Waze.
Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country and has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Waze was developed in Israel and provides navigation and real-time traffic information through satellite positioning and reports submitted by drivers.
Google acquired the company in 2013 for about $1 billion.
In July 2026, Malaysian authorities shut down the Network School, a tech community in Johor, after activists alleged it had become a hub for Israeli entrepreneurs entering Malaysia on secondary passports.
Immigration checks found no Israeli passport violations among 266 foreign nationals, but local authorities later revoked the school’s business license following the investigation and licensing violations.
In December 2023, Malaysia barred Israeli-flagged ships and vessels operated by Israel’s ZIM Integrated Shipping Services from its ports and prohibited ships bound for Israel from loading cargo there.
The measures reversed a 2002 decision allowing ZIM vessels to dock in Malaysia.
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