TuJu not built to rival Waze, LLM chair clarifies amid govt push

 

Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) chairperson Hasni Mohammad has clarified that the TuJu navigation application was developed primarily to improve services along tolled highways, rather than to compete directly with Waze.

His explanation comes amid questions over the government’s promotion of TuJu as an alternative to Waze, following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s urge for Malaysians to switch to the locally developed application over national security concerns.

“It is not a navigation application like Waze.

“Our collaboration is simply intended to improve our Traffic Management Centre,” Hasni (above) told Malaysiakini during an interview in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He explained that TuJu was conceived as an additional service for tolled highway users, providing traffic updates, information on rest areas, locations of enforcement cameras and emergency assistance contacts.

“TuJu is meant to be a navigation application, but its scale and capabilities, compared with Waze, are being developed specifically for tolled highway users.

“If you are travelling on the highway from Ayer Keroh to Seremban, the application will be able to tell you about traffic conditions along the way, the exits, rest areas and other facilities,” he said.

Hasni further stated that the prime minister has instructed him to upgrade TuJu.

Security concerns

On Oct 20, Anwar encouraged Malaysians to switch from Waze to TuJu, citing concerns over the security of users’ information and movement data due to Waze’s links to Israel.

The government’s subsequent directive restricting Waze use among civil servants, alongside its promotion of TuJu, prompted comparisons between the two applications.

However, TuJu soon faced complaints over technical glitches and navigation shortcomings following a surge in users.

On Oct 23, Anwar acknowledged that TuJu was incomplete, while maintaining the government’s national security concerns over Waze.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo also clarified that TuJu was not compulsory and other navigation applications, including Google Maps, remained permissible.

Focus on highway safety

Hasni said LLM’s jurisdiction was limited to tolled highways, where it was working to improve real-time traffic monitoring and road safety services.

He acknowledged that the agency’s Traffic Management Centre still required upgrades, as not all highways provided traffic information to LLM.

The TuJu highway navigation app

TuJu was developed to complement these efforts, particularly by helping motorists obtain assistance during emergencies.

“If you are stranded on a highway, you can use TuJu to find the telephone numbers of people you can contact and the assistance available,” he said.

Hasni did not rule out expanding the application’s coverage to federal, municipal and village roads, but said this would depend on technical capabilities and funding.

“Perhaps 10 or 15 years from now, yes, we could expand to federal roads, municipal roads and village roads.

“But for now, the focus is solely on tolled highways,” he said.

Hasni admits concerns

Hasni also admitted concerns over how TuJu was presented during a briefing to the National Security Council (NSC), particularly after the application became associated with broader national security considerations.

He distinguished between the NSC’s security concerns and LLM’s focus on highway safety, including assistance for motorists involved in accidents or breakdowns.

“If the briefing given by LLM to the NSC was misleading, it should not have happened.

“If that occurred, I do not think it is something we should take lightly,” said Hasni, who revealed his absence from the Oct 20 briefing in Parliament but was informed of the meeting’s minutes.

Hasni said he needed to establish whether LLM and TuJu developer Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd had clearly explained the application’s intended functions during the briefing.

His remarks followed Fahmi’s announcement that the cabinet had asked LLM and Prosignal to explain TuJu’s technical problems, including the causes of disruptions and proposed improvements.

Asked about the request, Hasni said LLM would provide an explanation if formally queried.

Defending Prosignal deal

Hasni also defended LLM’s collaboration with Prosignal amid questions over the company’s links to former LLM chairperson Abdul Rashid Asari.

Rashid, who is also the Selat Klang assemblyperson, previously told Malaysiakini that he had personally proposed the initiative while chairing LLM before inviting Prosignal to undertake the project following the board’s approval.

He confirmed that the project was not awarded through an open tender and denied that political connections influenced Prosignal’s involvement.

Hasni stressed that LLM's board had collectively approved the project, rather than through a unilateral decision by Rashid.

“What I mean is that the idea was presented under his chairpersonship and agreed upon by the board.

“That means many people were involved. It was not his decision alone,” said the Umno supreme council member.

'TuJu financed by investors'

Asked whether Rashid’s subsequent involvement with Prosignal raised conflict-of-interest concerns, Hasni said his predecessor was no longer LLM chairperson.

“At the time the decision was made, he was merely bringing a proposal to the board for the benefit of road users,” he said.

Hasni also maintained that Prosignal’s selection without an open tender was justified because the project did not involve government funding.

“TuJu is financed by investors in the project, whether through internal funds or loans.

“Therefore, if anyone asks why it was not awarded through an open tender, it is because no government funds are involved.

“Apart from that, LLM has always complied with financial regulations,” said the Simpang Renggam MP.

LLM signed an initial memorandum of understanding with Prosignal in May 2022, when Rashid was chairperson, for a Smart Highway initiative involving digital highway management systems.

Abdul Rashid Asari

Hasni, who succeeded Rashid in August 2022, confirmed that the initial agreement predated his appointment.

He also referred to a subsequent agreement signed towards the end of last year to enhance the application’s services.

Asked whether TuJu had begun generating income for LLM, Hasni said he would need to refer to the project’s return-on-investment projections.

He also stopped short of ruling out future financial commitments by LLM, saying additional costs for upgrading TuJu would depend on the business plan. - Mkini