SOME analysts argue that the convenience of using a foreign-owned navigation app is no excuse for overlooking its potential harmful uses.
The Malaysian government is considering whether to ban Waze on the grounds of its Israeli ownership. Countries such as Iran and Iraq have banned the app, while others, including Saudi Arabia, have not done so. Malaysia may or may not eventually prohibit its use.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is concerned that the unwitting use of Waze could expose Malaysians and others in the country to Israeli surveillance, particularly regarding the movements of Palestinians in Malaysia.
The assassination of a Palestinian some time ago by suspected Israeli operatives comes to mind. However, it has yet to be established whether Waze was used to monitor the whereabouts of the Palestinian.
There is no question that Waze, being Israeli-owned, has the potential to be used for ulterior purposes that could run counter to Malaysia’s national interests.
As a sovereign nation, Malaysia has every right to take action against foreign agencies or navigation apps that might operate in ways contrary to its national interests.
Unfortunately, the government’s approach to replacing Waze with a local navigation app called TuJu raises more questions than answers. TuJu is operated through a joint venture between the government agency, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), and a private company, Prosignal Consortium.
If the use of Waze posed a real or potential threat, why was the matter not brought to public attention earlier?
Why has concern about the Israeli threat emerged so suddenly, at the same time that the government is promoting TuJu as a replacement for Waze?
This raises an obvious question: Was the threat attributed to Waze being invoked to promote a Malaysian navigation app?
Why has Prosignal Consortium, which had reportedly remained dormant for some time, suddenly become active and been selected for a joint venture with LLM to develop a local navigation app?
I am not sure whether an open tender was conducted to select Prosignal Consortium for this joint venture. Perhaps Anwar, who has been so emphatic about stopping the use of Waze, should explain how the partnership between LLM and Prosignal Consortium came about.
If no open tender was conducted, the government has an obligation to explain the selection process. Such an arrangement would raise legitimate questions about transparency, accountability and objectivity in the use of public resources.
Ultimately, was the alleged foreign threat posed by Waze invoked to facilitate crony capitalism involving local companies? Or, alternatively, is the government attempting to conceal covert assistance to the Palestinians?
Given the oppression of the Palestinians under Zionist aggression, there is no need for the government to conceal any assistance rendered to the Palestinian cause, whether military or humanitarian.
The government should come clean and explain transparently why Waze has to go. National security concerns deserve serious consideration, but they should not become a pretext for opaque business arrangements or the preferential treatment of private companies.
Former DAP stalwart and Penang deputy chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: RTM
