Tuju was developed to improve services for toll highway users rather than compete directly with Waze, said Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) chairman Hasni Mohammad.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, he explained that Tuju supports traffic management by providing information on road conditions, exits, rest areas and enforcement camera locations, alongside access to emergency assistance.

Hasni also said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had instructed him to upgrade the application.

The clarification follows Anwar’s call on 20 October for Malaysians to switch from Waze to Tuju over concerns about the security of users’ information and movement data. Restrictions on Waze use among civil servants also prompted comparisons between the two applications.

Tuju subsequently received complaints about technical disruptions and navigation limitations following a surge in users. On 23 October, Anwar acknowledged that the application was not yet fully developed.

However, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo clarified that using Tuju is not mandatory, and other navigation applications, including Google Maps, remain available for use.

According to Hasni, LLM is currently focusing on real-time traffic monitoring and highway safety. Its traffic management centre also requires upgrades, as not all highways supply traffic information to the authority.

Tuju’s coverage could potentially expand to federal, municipal and village roads within 10 to 15 years, depending on technical capabilities and funding. For now, its focus remains on toll highways.