PARLIAMENT The Communications and Multimedia Ministry may recommend that the National Security Council (MKN) study the potential threat GPS navigation applications Waze and Google Maps may pose to the country.

This is after two BN lawmakers continued to raise concerns that the applications may be used to leak sensitive information, despite Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Jailani Johari brushing them off.

“Malaysians are very dependent on Google Maps and Waze for location sharing and this has indirectly provided information about Malaysia to external quarters such as the US and Israel, and it could lead to external threats.

"Has there been any effort made by the government to address this issue?” Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom) asked during question time.

He was backed up by Irmohizam Ibrahim (BN-Kuala Selangor) who said Raime's question was important to "ensure national security".

“If MPs feel this must be dealt with, then I think it would be wise for MKN to look at this issue overall,”Jailani said.

Earlier, however, the deputy minister repeated several times that using Waze and Google Maps was not an offence, and that any data transmission is subject to privacy policies between the users and either Waze or Google.

Concerns brushed off

Later when met by reporters at the Parliament lobby, Jailani brushed off concerns that the US was monitoring Malaysian traffic.

"I don't think (there is any basis). We should not look at any emergence of technology as taboo in our daily life.

"We should look at the more positive aspect of it," the deputy minister told reporters.

He added that the use of applications like Waze and Google Maps was entirely optional, and was viewed by the government as something that could improve the daily lives of Malaysians.

Meanwhile, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan told reporters at the lobby that Waze was more useful than dangerous.

"These are applications used by millions around the world, it helps people to navigate themselves rather than helping terrorists.
"I do accept the concerns of the (Tenom and Kuala Selangor) MPs, but these apps are of more use to the people than an army," Nur Jazlan said.