Waze Ban for Civil Servants?

 

Lawmakers have called on the government to clarify its decision to ban civil servants from using navigation app Waze over its alleged links to Israel. What is the rationale for the restriction and whether other applications pose similar data security risks?

If Waze is prohibited over its alleged links to Israel, what about other US-based applications, including Google Maps, Instagram and WhatsApp? Waze has been owned by Google since 2013. So, what’s the difference in data security risks between Waze and Google Maps, which share the same parent company.

 

Source: https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waze 

If Waze posed a security threat because it was based in Israel, the government should consider prohibiting its use throughout Malaysia rather than restricting the ban to civil servants.

PMX urged Malaysians to stop using Waze and switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, citing assurances on data security and personal data protection. TuJu is a local highway navigation and traffic application developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority in collaboration with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd. The app was launched less than a year ago. According to Prosignal Consortium’s official website, the Cyberjaya-based company was incorporated in 2021 and focuses on smart data technology and infrastructure integration. The company’s chairman is Datuk Muhammed Abdullah, the Undang of Johol, one of Negeri Sembilan’s four territorial chieftains. Its deputy chairman and managing director is Mohd Edzreen Mohd Din. Other prominent figures on the board include Selat Klang state assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari, who serves as an executive director, and former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, who is a non-executive director.

The core difference is that Waze is a mature, globally-focused, community-driven navigation app, while Tuju is a newly launched, Malaysian government-backed app built specifically for highway travel. While both offer navigation, they serve very different primary purposes and are at vastly different stages of development.

1.      Core Purpose & Scope

-Waze: A general-purpose, international navigation app for daily driving on all road types, powered by a massive global community.

-Tuju: A Malaysian highway-focused app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM). It is designed for inter-state travel, toll calculations, and highway-specific updates.

 

2.      Data Sources & Traffic Info

-Waze: Relies on crowdsourced, real-time reports from its millions of users (accidents, police, traffic jams).

-Tuju: Pulls official data from LLM's traffic management centre, highway concessionaires, live CCTV feeds, and verified user reports.

 

3.      Key Features

-Waze: Best-in-class real-time traffic alerts, automatic rerouting, and community interaction. It also offers speed limit warnings and lane guidance.

-Tuju: Specialized highway tools like toll cost calculators, detailed R&R (Rest & Service area) listings (including EV chargers), live CCTV access, and emergency hotline links.

 

4.      Performance & Usability

-Waze: A polished, reliable experience with consistent UI across platforms, and support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

-Tuju: Reports highlight frequent bugs, poor turn-by-turn instructions, no live traffic rerouting, inconsistent UI between iOS and Android, and a lack of CarPlay/Android Auto support. User reviews on the App Store average only 2.6 out of 5 due to these issues.

 

5.      Privacy & Sovereignty

-Waze: Owned by Google and subject to Israeli government laws, which is the primary reason the Malaysian government is pushing for an alternative.

-Tuju: A locally developed app intended to keep user data within Malaysia's jurisdiction.

 

6.      Maturity & User Base

-Waze: Has years of development, a massive global user base, and a vast map database.

-Tuju: Launched in November 2025, it is still in its early stages with a smaller user base and a less mature local map database, especially in areas like Sarawak. 

In short, Waze is a proven, feature-rich tool for daily driving. Tuju is a nascent, official highway companion that prioritizes data sovereignty but currently struggles with basic navigation reliability compared to its established rival. 

Internationally, Waze is banned in one or two countries due to national security concerns or local traffic regulations.

Iraq:

·         The Ban: The Iraqi Ministry of Communications announced plans to block and ban Waze.

·       The Reason: Authorities cited the app's Israeli origins and noted that it has occasionally been used by drivers to track or bypass security checkpoints.

 Germany (Feature-Level Ban):

·      The Restriction: While the Waze app itself is not completely outlawed in Germany, displaying and using the app's speed camera alert feature is illegal for drivers under German traffic regulations. 

The ramifications for this is that we need to ban all Israeli products even if it is acquired by the U.S. or Europe. These many include: 

·       -Food and beverages (dates, avocados etc)

·        -Cosmetics (AHAJA)

·        -Household products (Keter Group)

·        -Technology (Hewlett Packard, Google, smartphones, computers, telecom networks)

So, must we return to the camel, horse and bullock-cart days instead of EVs and AIs?

 

Reference:

Lawmakers seek clarity on Waze ban for civil servants over alleged Israel link, Choy Nyen Yiau & Justin Cheng, theedgemalaysia.com, 22 Oct 2026

Confession of a SPM Student!

 

The bell curve (or grading on a curve) is a statistical method used by teachers and exam boards to assign grades based on how a pupil’s score compared to the rest of the exam taker rather than using a fixed, absolute score. This method of assigning grades was offered as the reason why Sarawakian Threads user @clrxdaxy was able to score an ‘A’ in her Additional Mathematics paper during the 2022 SPM examinations. This was despite her doing next to nothing to deserve that score given that she had copied the questions as answers while leaving the other half of the test paper unanswered. 

Looking back, a bewildered full-time banker “could never understand” how he could score an ‘A+” for add math which he had little hope of while he only scored a “B+” for Bahasa Malaysia which “I always got A’s throughout Form Four with even an A+ during my (SPM) trial exam”. The ‘bell curve’ marking scheme was named a guilty party in causing such distortions in grading. It was surmised that this method would be employed to “help weaker pupils” – an insinuation that the threshold for an “A” must have been very low for that year.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exam 

Another commenter further explained it with hypothetical numbers to further illustrate how a very low mark can end up being a graded higher than expected. It was also mentioned by an examinations system expert that the person marking the paper was not the same as the person grading it. This is regardless of the paper have been marked according to an approved marking scheme. 

It was thus surmised that such delusionary grades, unfortunately, led some pupils to apply for tertiary programmes that are unsuited to their skillset. This further affected university undergraduates who were then unable to answer psychometric test questions or write essays on scholarship application forms even though they were supposed to be “straight As” pupils. 

One netizen from across the Causeway highlighted that the opposite scenario existed in Singapore. A bell curve was also employed but too many high scorers led to such marks being downgraded, much to the horror of the original poster who perhaps realised her situation wasn’t so bad after all. It was also surmised that if a pupil were to opt for just one same answer for all the multiple-choice questions (without even reading them), he or she would have a very good chance of passing. 

The hard reality was spelled out by one pessimistic commenter who didn’t feel the need to varnish the bitter truth when it was opined that “Malaysia likely doesn’t have a bell curve anymore but probably a downhill curve these days”. Do you think Malaysia has a future with integrity lost in exams? Why do we do it? To “shiok sendiri”? Is this also prevalent in matriculation and local universities? Now with AI do we need exams? Bring a phone to an exam hall and answer all questions for A+? This distortion perpetuates into the workplace and amplifies the lack of quality in work output. No one can trust the SPM results or the local university. Each employer will design their own entry exams for their sphere of work. 

Reference:

Intriguing confession from SPM days: I didn’t answer half my add maths paper yet I still score “A”, Focus Malaysia, 12 October 2026

 

Cost of Living and Standard of Living: The Difference

 

At a recent class reunion, some classmates wanted to understand what’s the difference between the cost of living and standard of living and how much is required to survive after retirement. 

So, if a person migrates or decides to relocate to another city, the first thing that comes to his/her mind is how much money is required to fulfil the necessities of life there. In this context, there are two basic economic concepts, i.e. Cost of living and Standard of living, which gives you an idea of the general price level in an area and the degree of wealth and luxuries, that a particular group enjoy, respectively.

 

 

There are instances when people often misinterpret these two and use them interchangeably, but they are very different from one another. Cost of living is nothing but the cost of subsistence, i.e. the expense that people incur to live in a geographical location. Conversely, the standard of living refers to the level of material comfort possessed by an individual or a group in society. 

In this article excerpt, you may understand the differences between cost of living and standard of living. 

Comparison Chart

Basis for Comparison	Cost of Living	Standard of Living
Meaning	Cost of living implies the general level of prices of the goods and services which a common man can afford, for his regular needs.	Standard of living refers to the level of money and well-being, that people enjoy in a particular country.
Measures	How expensive it is to survive in a place, in comparison to another.	How well the people of a particular class live, without compromising their needs and wants.
Linked to	Wages	Quality of life
Indicators	Cost of living index and Purchasing Power Parity	Real income per person and poverty rate.

Definition of Cost of Living 

Cost of Living refers to the amount of money required to maintain a minimum standard of living, by being able to afford the necessities of life such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation, telephone and internet, recreation, education, healthcare, taxes and other utilities. It determines what amount you pay, for availing the necessary items and amenities.

With the help of cost of living, one can easily make a comparison between one place to another, as it differs from area to area and also changes over time, i.e. advancement of technology, modernisation and industrialisation lead to the increase in the cost of living. 

Cost of living is measured by ascertaining the average cost of the basket of goods and services which are essential for livelihood, for the people living in that area. 

Some countries with the highest cost of living are Bermuda, Switzerland, the Bahamas, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, Singapore, etc. 

Definition of Standard of Living 

Standard of Living, as the name suggests is the degree to which a particular socio-economic class can avail the wealth, comfort and material items, in a particular area. It is used to determine the relative prosperity of a demographic group in a country. 

The standard of living of a family or residents of the region basically depends on several factors like income, employment rate, poverty rate, quality of education and healthcare, religious and social freedom, level of crime, rate of inflation, infrastructure, life expectancy, economic and political stability, etc. 

To sum up, the cost of living indicates the amount of money required to maintain the minimum level of subsistence, by affording the necessities of life. As against, the standard of living ascertains the degree of subsistence of a socio-economic group as regards the sufficiency of needs and comforts in the day to day life. 

For Malaysia, the overall cost of living is low compared to Western countries. It is about 40% to 50% cheaper than living in the US or the UK. A family of four could survive on RM8,000 per month without rent. Average local salary is RM4,000 per month. That suggests at least two members of the family are working adults. If it is on standard of living, it is probably dependent on lifestyle and some may require RM15,000 – RM 20,000 per month! 

Reference:

Difference Between Cost of Living and Standard of Living, by Key Differences

Toxic Haze Over 25 Years!

 

The recurring haze in Southeast Asia persists because of unchecked slash-and-burn land clearing, highly flammable drained peatlands, and weak cross-border enforcement laws that have failed to stop corporate burning over the past 25 years:

 

·  Slash-and-burn clearing: Farmers and plantation companies use fast, cheap fires to clear tropical forests for oil palm and paper pulp.

·   Peatland destruction: Draining water from underground peat swamps dries out centuries-old carbon stores, turning them into deep, smoky underground fires that are very hard to put out.

·   El Niño weather cycles: Periodic dry, hot weather patterns worsen droughts, allowing fires to spread rapidly across Sumatra and Borneo.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

The problem continues because:

 

·                     Lack of strict enforcement: Agreements like the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution rely on national sovereignty and consensus, meaning there are no regional fines or cross-border prosecution powers against guilty companies.

·                     High profit margins: The immense financial value of commodities like palm oil incentivizes repeated land development despite seasonal bans 

Many of the ongoing fires have been burning across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo since mid-July – underpinned by a so-called Super El Niño that is exacerbating drought conditions. Between July and August, Indonesia's Health Ministry recorded over 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires. More than 12,000 of those cases are of children under the age of five. Malaysia, meanwhile, has reported rising cases of asthma and conjunctivitis amid worsening air quality nationwide as smoke continues to drift across the border.

Today, large-scale fires are often associated with the expansion of industrial plantations and other commercial land use. Environmental groups, researchers, and government investigations have repeatedly alleged that some companies use fire as a cheap and effective way to clear vast areas of land. What makes Indonesian Borneo's wildfires particularly worrying is that they are burning through one of the world's largest tropical peatland ecosystems. Under normal conditions, these peatlands serve as gigantic carbon reservoirs. But under abnormal conditions, such as those currently hitting the region, they can become carbon "bombs". 

The prolonged transboundary haze is costing Malaysia between RM20 million and RM50 million daily in economic disruptions, soaring healthcare bills, and lost worker productivity, according to experts. The hardest-hit sectors are tourism and aviation. Air pollution can cut arrivals by up to 8%, with GDP losses up to RM1.5 billon a month. 

Why can’t there be solutions? For 25 years people have suffered. Can’t the authorities bring to book the companies and their directors. What’s the purpose of ASEAN if you can’t solve a 25-year-old problem? An ASEAN people movement must move these governments to find lasting solutions!

References:

Toxic wildfire haze spreads across Southeast Asia as 'super' El Niño intensifies, BBC Indonesian, Gavin Butler and Virma Simonette, 3 September 2026 

Economic toll of haze in Malaysia could hit RM1.5b a month as business and health costs mount, experts say, Malay Mail, 14 October 2026

Idiots, Tribal and Citizens

 

The above is differentiated by notable sociologists and public intellectuals. The pioneers who identified and stated these categories were founders of democracy in ancient Greece. Greek people, as we know, contributed to forming the modern civilized world in many ways. Greeks believed: - 

1.The first kind of people is idiots. They are not mentally deficient, but they are those who are totally self-centred. The ‘idiots’ always run for the private gains and personal interest. They have no public philosophy, no knowledge, no skill, no character and no virtue to contribute to  society. Such people always look out for personal pleasure and treasure. They are supported by like-minded politicians, foreign powers and elites of the society for their vested interest. The classic persons you may know but the dead ones include Hitler, Stalin and others. 

2.Tribal people follow tribalistic philosophy, but they do not necessarily belong to that specific tribe or society. Such people cannot think beyond the interest of their small tribe or group. For them, their primary religion is their tribe and tribalism is their god. They generally view everything from their own prism and interpret it in their own way. They are always suspicious and fearful of others. They tend to respond to rest of the people with intimidation, force and violence. The ideal persons for the tribal people are the warriors. The best examples of these people are those in certain fascist-like political parties with cult-like leadership. 

3.The third category is citizens. For ancient Greeks, citizens are those who have the skills and knowledge to live respectable public lives, who know the value of commonwealth as well as their rights and responsibilities towards the society. In other words, they help to form a civilized society. These are people in Denmark, Sweden, Norway or Ireland. 

So, what are we in Malaysia?

  

Reference:

Dr. Kethoser Kevichusa talked about “The Idiot, The Tribes people [Tribalistic mentality], & The Citizen [for a civilized society]”, ERITREANCDM, 24 November 2019

 

Overview of Budget 2027

 

Significant Points:

 

·        Total Allocation & Spending: Budget 2027 sets a total federal expenditure of RM510 billion (with an actual federal government outlay of RM459.8 billion), splitting into RM376.8 billion in operating expenditure and RM83 billion in development expenditure.

 

·     Revenue Projections: Government revenue is projected to grow by 4.7% to RM380.8 billion, supported by dividends (such as RM32 billion from Petronas) and expanding tax bases.

Source: https://belanjawan.mof.gov.my/ms/cadangan2027

 

·       Fiscal Deficit Targets: The government aims to narrow the fiscal deficit further to 3.3% of GDP in 2027 (down from 3.6% in 2026), balancing growth support with fiscal consolidation.

 

·    Subsidies and Social Support: Allocations for subsidies, social assistance, and incentives exceed RM80 billion (including RM40 billion designated for fuel subsidies) to shield households from high living costs.

 

·        Strategic Growth Sectors: Development spending prioritizes the economic sector (45.4%), followed by social services (33.7%), security (14.7%), and general administration (6.2%), with heavy emphasis on AI, green technology, and digitalization.

 

Review of a Budget: 

A brief review evaluates whether a budget achieves its stated goals sustainably, equitably, and realistically:

 

·       Rigidity in Operating Expenditure: A high share of operating expenditure goes toward mandatory and fixed items (emoluments, retirement charges, and debt service charges), leaving less fiscal space for agile crisis response.

 

·      Subsidy Burden vs. Targeting: While massive subsidy allocations (over RM80 billion) protect the Rakyat (citizens) from immediate inflation, broad or fuel-heavy subsidies can strain public finances compared to more precisely targeted cash transfers.

 

·      Macroeconomic Vulnerabilities: Growth projections (4.2%–5.2% for 2027) and revenue estimates rely heavily on external commodity prices, global semiconductor/AI demand, and regional stability. Weaker-than-expected external trade could trigger revenue shortfalls.

 

·       Fiscal Consolidation Trade-offs: Narrowing the deficit to 3.3% requires strict expenditure efficiency and leak-reduction (such as e-invoicing and subsidy rationalization), which can face execution bottlenecks or lag in administrative impact. 

Dr Lim Teck Ghee, economic historian has suggested a cut of 10% of the operating budgets of 500 GLCs and statutory bodies. Take the savings and put it into healthcare, housing, and social welfare. Dr. Lim estimates that abuses, leakages and mismanagement in public procurement cost this country between RM40 billion and RM60 billion annually. Procurement is about 40% of government spending, upwards of RM150 billion a year. It is, in Dr. Lim’s words, the sector most heavily hit by systemic financial loss and corrupt practices.

However, above it all, nothing was based on Reformasi. PMX could have introduced measures or bills to reform the corrupt affairs of the state. Like what?  He announced the idea of a legal reform commission, but he didn’t mention a RCI for all the shenanigans over the last 15 years – Felda, LCS, Feedlot, Jana Wibawa, Sabah Water Department and many more (beyond 1MDB and Tabung Haji). Malaysia ranks 54 out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perception Index. This would have been a bold move to assuage the sentiment of the ordinary rakyat. But alas, you must not spook friends in the Cabinet.

Reference:

Opinion: RM60 billion money disappearing trick and calling it a GLC, Nganasegaran, newswav.com, 14 October 2026 

Tuition Centre Owners Told to Find Bumi Partners By 2027?

 

Recently, the Ministry of Education (KPM) embedded a 30% Bumiputera equity requirement into private education centre registration rules. For many Malaysian Chinese-owned tuition centres that have operated legally for decades, this is traumatic. The Ministry of Education (KPM) has now clarified that existing tuition centres that do not meet a 30% Bumiputera equity threshold will not be denied registration renewal from 2027.

 

For tuition centres specifically, the rules go further: foreign equity is prohibited entirely. Education regulation should primarily focus on teaching standards, teacher qualifications, student safety, premises and compliance with the law. Under the KPM table, a tuition centre may be registered as a sole proprietorship or enterprise with minimum equity of RM10,000. Bumiputera equity must constitute at least 30%, and foreign equity is not permitted.

 

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

 

Language, skills and training centres structured as Sdn Bhd carry a higher minimum equity of RM50,000. The 30% Bumiputera requirement applies here too, though foreign equity is permitted — but only within limits set by Malaysia’s Free Trade Agreements (FTA), the bilateral and multilateral trade deals that determine how much foreign ownership is allowed in specific sectors.

 

Company directors and owners are separately barred from becoming employees of the same centre. Branches must mirror the parent centre’s ownership structure.

 

In its initial form at 30%, it is burdensome, what if it were higher, say 50% as some now advocate. This is in fact “backdoor nationalisation” which will impact locals and foreigners considering new investments into Malaysia. It is not viable if 30%, 60% or higher is given “free” to Bumiputera equity holders. Why? Simply because if one has to give “free” shares to another group, the initial return of say 10% is now 5% for the original promoter and “infinity” for the other party. It doesn’t make sense to invest.

 

Equity threshold (30%) should only be applicable to public listed companies not on Sdn Bhds, sole-proprietorships, family-owned “mom and pop” stores. Madani is pandering to the ultras, which love a ‘rent-seeking’ opportunity! It is then a vote for no growth.

 

Reference:

Tuition Centre Owners Told to Find Bumi Partners By 2027, Or Lose Their Licence, Fernando Fong, The Rakyat Post, 17 September 2026