AMPANG, Oct 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today proposals for a nationwide ban on navigation app Waze required careful study, but did not rule out the possibility if capable local alternatives were available.

“It must be studied what are the alternatives first, and if we find that local capabilities are good enough then we may consider prohibiting Waze altogether,” he told reporters after performing Friday prayers here.

Anwar again defended the ban on Waze for civil servants amid criticism, describing it as a crucial move to protect national security, even as he acknowledged that the decision had not been deliberated by the Cabinet beforehand.

“This is a heavy issue. When we checked Waze’s headquarters is in Israel, that’s one thing,” he said.

“Then a check showed Waze is governed only by Israeli laws. This is why I had to take a spontaneous decision because we cannot afford to delay even a single day…because all data are automatically handed to the Israeli government.”