Civil Servants Who Defy Waze Ban Face Disciplinary Action, Says NSC

CYBERJAYA, Oct 22 – Civil servants who fail to comply with the immediate ban on using the navigation app Waze could face formal disciplinary proceedings, National Security Council (NSC / MKN) director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin warned.

Speaking at a national security briefing in Cyberjaya on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Raja Nushirwan stated that heads of departments across all government bodies have been tasked with overseeing strict compliance. The mandate follows an official circular issued by Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

“The directive takes effect immediately. Its implementation will generally be left to individual department heads. Any breach of a directive issued by the KSN carries disciplinary implications,” he emphasized, urging civil servants to halt using Waze to safeguard government and individual movement data from potential exploitation by external parties.

Phased Strategy for Public and Local Navigation Alternatives

Key details regarding public messaging, local app adoption, and geopolitical risk factors include:

• Public Education Over Blanket Bans: The government is taking a phased approach that prioritizes public awareness rather than enforcing a mandatory ban on everyday citizens. Officials aim to balance national data security with individual freedom of choice.
• Protecting the Domestic ICT Ecosystem: Raja Nushirwan noted that imposing an abrupt nationwide ban on the general public could send unintended negative signals to application developers and the broader information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
• Transition to Local Apps: Members of the public are encouraged to uninstall Waze voluntarily and migrate to homegrown navigation platforms, such as TuJu, co-developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
• Data Security Concerns Linked to Israel: The public sector ban, approved during a National Cyber Security Committee (JKSN) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, stems from security risks associated with Waze Mobile Ltd operating under Israeli law and jurisdiction.

Department heads will conduct regular internal assessments to ensure public servants remain fully compliant during official travel.

–NMT