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Vehicles travel along a road between buildings in Shah Alam, Selangor state, Malaysia, on Oct. 21. / EPA, Yonhap

The Malaysian government is considering expanding its ban on civil servants' use of the Israel-based navigation app Waze on national security grounds, while controversy continues over the technical capabilities of the domestic app proposed as an alternative and the transparency of the contractor selection process.

Questions have been raised about the reliability of the domestic navigation app due to its relatively limited technical sophistication, as well as the transparency of the selection process for the project to develop the replacement app.

According to local media outlet Malay Mail on Oct. 25, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the previous day at the launch of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition's Melaka election machinery at Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka state that the government could also consider extending restrictions on Waze, currently applicable only to civil servants performing official duties, to the general public.

On Oct. 21, the Malaysian government announced a ban on civil servants' use of Waze, citing the need to protect government information and users' personal data from potential misuse by Israel.

The government also urged Malaysians to stop using Waze and switch to domestic apps such as TuJu.

Anwar raised concerns that Waze is based in Israel and subject to Israeli law.

He said, "The government has reviewed the app's ties to Israel and the laws governing its terms of use," adding, "We are concerned about the possibility of government information and users' personal data being exposed to outside parties."

However, it has not been publicly established whether sensitive Malaysian government information has actually been leaked to Israel through Waze.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, has strongly criticized Israel. The Malaysian government maintains that, in light of these diplomatic and security circumstances, the country needs to reduce its dependence on foreign technology and strengthen its domestic digital capabilities.

However, TuJu, the domestic navigation app proposed by the government as an alternative, has faced criticism for its limited technical sophistication and low user acceptance.

Anwar acknowledged that TuJu does not yet have a fully developed system and urged users to turn to other Malaysia-based alternatives until the app's performance reaches a sufficient level.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the government had not restricted the general public to using TuJu for navigation. He explained that other navigation apps, including Google Maps, could still be used.

Addressing concerns about TuJu's functionality, he said, "The app was originally developed to provide highway traffic information," adding, "Development is also underway to expand its coverage to areas beyond highways."

Lim Guan Eng, chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and member of parliament for Bagan, called for an open tender for the development of a new Malaysian navigation app to replace Waze in a statement on Oct. 26.

Lim questioned how Prosignal Consortium Sdn. Bhd. (PCSB), the developer of TuJu, had been awarded the project without an open tender and argued that transparency in the contractor selection process must be demonstrated.

Earlier, the number of users of TuJu reportedly surged after the government recommended the app, causing service disruptions.

In a commentary published on Oct. 23, the New Straits Times pointed out that a domestic app would struggle to gain users' trust if it failed to operate reliably.

The newspaper advised that, to reduce dependence on foreign services, the government should create an environment in which domestic technology companies can develop competitive products through long-term investment and consistent policy implementation.

                                                                                                            Hong Seong-a