Malaysia, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
National Security Council director-general Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin told the Malaysian parliament on Thursday that Waze’s new terms of use was a factor in the government’s decision to ban the app’s use by civil servants.
“The new terms of use state that the use of Waze is subject to Israeli law, which was not the case previously. As a result, any legal disputes would be subject to Israeli law, even though Malaysia does not recognise that country,” he said, as reported in Bernama.
“I want to stress that this decision is not solely about technology, but also concerns the laws governing users’ data.”
Raja Nushirwan added that the Malaysian government would not compromise on the country’s information sovereignty, stressing that Malaysian data cannot be subject to Israeli jurisdiction.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said that Waze’s terms of service falling under Israeli legal jurisdiction raises concerns over movement data security and potential difficulties in seeking legal recourse.
Gobind added that the Waze ban does not apply to general members of the public using the app for personal purposes, and that civil servants were not restricted to using the TuJu app, and could continue using alternatives, including Google Maps, for official duties.
Waze was founded in Israel and uses satellite signals and information supplied by drivers to provide real-time traffic updates.
Google, which is owned by Alphabet, acquired the navigation app in 2013.