PUTRAJAYA: The government has directed all public servants to stop using the Waze navigation application with immediate effect.
The directive was conveyed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar in an official letter dated Oct 20, 2026, addressed to ministry secretaries-general, heads of federal departments, management heads of federal statutory bodies and relevant authorities.
According to Shamsul Azri, the decision was reached during the third 2026 meeting of the National Cyber Security Committee (JKSN), chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday.
He said ministry secretaries-general and department heads must ensure the directive is communicated to officers under their supervision, including personnel in relevant agencies and departments, for immediate implementation.
All civil servants were urged to cooperate and take the directive seriously to ensure full compliance across their respective ministries, departments and agencies.
Shamsul Azri added that any questions or requests for further clarification on the implementation could be directed to the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), under the National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Department, which is coordinating the matter.
Waze is a GPS-based navigation application developed by an Israeli technology company in 2009. It provides route guidance, real-time traffic updates and estimated arrival times based on road conditions.
The application also relies on community-generated information, allowing users to report accidents, road closures and traffic obstructions to help other motorists plan their journeys.
From a cybersecurity perspective, Waze processes certain information, including GPS locations, travel routes and device data, to provide navigation and traffic services. Such information may reveal users’ movements and travel patterns, raising privacy and data-protection considerations, particularly for individuals handling sensitive matters.
-AWANI
