KUALA LUMPUR: It was hailed as an alternative to Waze. Yet, barely 24 hours later, the Malaysian-made TuJu is now offline as the navigation application has been subjected to ridicule.
Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng was among those to criticise TuJu, with the veteran DAP leader calling it a “national embarrassment” and demanding accountability over its rollout as a Waze replacement.
The matter was also raised in the Dewan Rakyat earlier today by another DAP leader, Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman, who said she had downloaded TuJu but found the app disappointing. She added that public feedback showed it was not yet fully ready for use as an alternative to Waze.
Responding to Young Syefura, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, who is also DAP national chairman, said the government would work with local navigation platforms TuJu and Pintaz to strengthen their services as part of its wider GovTech push to improve digital public services.
What’s wrong with Waze?
Waze was launched in 2006 as an open-source project called FreeMap Israel. In 2013, Google bought it for US$1 billion. The application is widely used among Malaysians.
On Oct 20, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim chaired a National Cyber Security Committee meeting in Putrajaya. After the meeting, the prime minister posted on Facebook, advising Malaysians against using Waze.
According to Anwar, Waze is subject to Israeli government laws. He added that the potential risk of the application being used to monitor Malaysians’ data was discussed during the meeting.
Given the concerns and data security risks, Anwar suggested that Malaysians switch to TuJu instead.
The meeting also decided that all civil servants must stop using Waze with immediate effect. In a circular to department heads, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said ministry secretaries-general and department heads must ensure the decision was communicated to all officers under their supervision, including those in related agencies and departments, for immediate implementation.
It was later clarified that civil servants were barred from using Waze while on official duty.
Who is behind TuJu?
TuJu means direction and destination in Bahasa Melayu. The application is a collaboration between the Malaysian Highway Authority and Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd that began in 2022.
According to TuJu’s website, the strategic cooperation aims to develop a comprehensive and smart highway navigation system, combining Prosignal Consortium’s technical expertise with the Malaysian Highway Authority’s operational experience to provide efficient information under the tagline “Your Travel Companion”.
Until yesterday, Prosignal Consortium listed its group executive chairman as Datuk Muhammad Abdullah. The name was, however, removed today.
Prosignal Consortium’s executive director is Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari, while its non-executive director is former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.
Another setback after PMX.AI
Anwar has been promoting the use of technology and pushing for artificial intelligence as Putrajaya aims to become an AI Nation by 2030. However, TuJu is the second technology initiative publicised by Anwar to encounter problems in recent months.
In July 2026, PMX.AI was launched by Anwar. He said Malaysians should chat with his AI avatar on WhatsApp to “begin fostering fresh ideas and meaningful public discourse for our nation and its people”.
Barely a day later, the application went offline for “upgrades”. It remains offline to date. While no official reason was given for the AI avatar going offline, users felt its “funny responses” could have been the culprit.
Today, Anwar faces a similar situation with TuJu, prompting Lim to say the prime minister had been “wrongly advised”.
Lim urged Anwar to return to the drawing board and task the National Cyber Security Committee with developing a vastly improved version of TuJu.
In the Dewan Rakyat today, Gobind explained that TuJu, developed with the Malaysian Highway Authority under the Works Ministry, was initially designed to provide information on traffic conditions along highways, including congestion at toll plazas, rest and service areas, and CCTV footage.
“Its capabilities are now being expanded to cover traffic flow on roads leading to highways,” he said.
Gobind said the government, through its GovTech initiatives, would explore cooperation with relevant parties to improve existing services and develop better applications. However, he stressed that the government had not directed Malaysians to use TuJu exclusively.
‘Increased foreign attention on Malaysia’
Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan yesterday revealed that several MPs from both sides of the political divide had been briefed on national security issues affecting Malaysia.
“Of course, I am not at liberty to disclose the details of that briefing. What I can say, however, is that based on what was presented, there has been increased foreign attention on our country, and not just from benevolent or friendly parties,” Syahredzan said in a Facebook post.
“In other words, there is indeed national security risks, which appears to have heightened in recent years.
“I am not a technical expert, but I know Waze gathers user data. While one could point to other applications that collect similar data, the key difference with Waze is the proximity of its ownership and governing laws to Israel. Not just any foreign nation but one which Malaysia has consistently and constantly criticised for the genocide it has perpetrated.”
He said Anwar had made the announcement after chairing the National Cyber Security Committee meeting and would have been thoroughly briefed on the risks posed by the application, which were serious enough for him to make the call.
“This decision did not come out of a vacuum.”
Syahredzan said the public was entitled to ask questions and that the government should be given an opportunity to clarify its position.
“At this point, I do think that the Government has been forthcoming enough on the reasons for the decision.
“I am sure the Prime Minister knows this decision will attract ridicule and brickbats. However, I believe he would rather endure criticism than hand our nation’s security on a silver platter to those who wish us harm,” he added.
