[UPDATED] No blanket Waze ban as government adopts phased approach

CYBERJAYA: The government is not imposing a blanket ban on Waze as it seeks to strike a balance between national security and personal freedoms.

National Security Council director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said the ban on civil servants using the app was part of a phased approach to addressing security concerns associated with it.

"We must always strike a balance between security concerns, human rights, freedom of speech and freedom of choice," he told a press conference here today.

He said the focus now was on raising public awareness.

"This is the first step, and we will assess how well it works. After that, we will see whether further measures are required.

"We think that, by limiting the ban to civil servants, we are striking the right balance, while at the same time hoping to educate Malaysians on this very important issue," he said.

Asked whether Waze could be banned in the future, Raja Nushirwan said nothing could be ruled out when it came to national security.

Meanwhile, National Cyber Security Agency chief executive officer Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin said Iran had also blocked the app when asked whether Malaysia was the first country to take such a step.

He said China had imposed certain restrictions, but in Malaysia's case, the restriction applied only to civil servants and was not a blanket ban.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed civil servants to stop using Waze and appealed to the public to do the same, citing concerns that sensitive government information and personal data could be exploited by Israel.