KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23: The government does not rule out the possibility of completely banning the use of the Waze navigation application in Malaysia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the government could take the move after studying alternatives to replace Waze, including local capabilities to develop a similar application that could function effectively.
“The Waze issue is a serious matter for us because, firstly, its headquarters is in Israel. Second, under the agreement governing the use of the application, any problems are subject to Israeli law. That is why I took relatively spontaneous action (to prohibit civil servants from using Waze).
“This cannot be delayed, not even for a day. Some people say we should be patient and conduct checks first, but I say it is clear that if Waze is used, it means that all information is automatically handed over to Israel. So, this is a matter of the security of the people and the country, and I cannot compromise on it,” he said.
