More Than 700,000 Downloads Put TuJu Under Pressure
Malaysia's highway authority is working to restore the TuJu navigation app after a surge in users disrupted its service, just as the government urged Malaysians to consider the local alternative to Waze. The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) apologised on October 22, 2026, and said it was working with developer Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd (PCSB) to identify the cause, restore stability and increase capacity.
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LLM Deputy Director-General for Operations Ir. Dr. Mohammed Ridzuan Jahidin said at a briefing in Cyberjaya that TuJu had passed 700,000 downloads by the previous day. The growing audience has brought immediate pressure on an app introduced on November 26, 2025, with navigation, highway traffic information and emergency assistance among its services.
The disruption affects a service that some civil servants are now being directed to replace. An October 20 government instruction barred them from using Waze during official duties, while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim encouraged the wider public to consider local navigation apps.
TuJu's navigation function was temporarily disrupted during system improvements, according to LLM's Traffic Management Centre. Live highway camera viewing and other available functions remained usable. No date was given for full restoration of navigation, leaving drivers waiting for a firm timetable while the authority works on repairs.
What Drivers Can Still Use
The Traffic Management Centre described a partial interruption rather than the loss of every TuJu service. In its notice to users, the centre explained which functions were affected:
During this period, the navigation function will be temporarily disrupted, while CCTV viewing and other available functions can still be used as usual.
TuJu normally brings together route guidance, estimated arrival times, toll information, traffic updates and live highway CCTV feeds. It also provides information about rest and service areas, highway facilities and emergency assistance. Drivers can use the camera feeds to view traffic at selected highway locations while navigation improvements continue.
LLM's immediate task is to restore dependable directions while keeping the remaining services available. For someone planning a highway journey, viewing a camera feed and receiving continuous route guidance serve different needs: one shows conditions at a particular location, while the other guides a driver toward a destination.
Repairs Extend Beyond Handling More Users
LLM and PCSB are working on three immediate priorities: finding the cause of the disruptions, restoring system stability and increasing the app's capacity to accommodate more users. Capacity means how much demand a system can handle at once, including requests for routes and travel information.
Users have also raised complaints on social media platforms, including Threads, about unreliable directions, missing traffic incident information as events happen and software bugs. Those concerns reach beyond whether the app opens or stays connected. A driver also needs the route and road information shown on screen to be useful and accurate.
LLM said its repair programme would address navigation functions, route accuracy and the experience of using the app. In its statement, the authority connected those improvements directly to public confidence:
We understand user trust needs to be built through reliable service. TuJu's improvements will not be limited to system stability. We will also improve navigation functions, information accuracy and the ability to meet users' needs.
The authority's response therefore covers both technical reliability and the information drivers receive. Increasing capacity addresses the pressure created by a larger audience; improving route guidance and traffic information addresses the complaints about what happens during a journey.
Why the Waze Directive Matters
Anwar's recommendation brought TuJu a much larger public profile. His call to switch apps on October 20 followed a National Cyber Security Committee meeting that he chaired, placing navigation data within the government's wider discussion of information security.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar conveyed the civil service restriction in a letter dated October 20. It took immediate effect, and ministry secretaries-general and department heads were instructed to inform officers under their supervision, including those in related agencies.
The National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) clarified that the restriction applies to civil servants performing official duties. The wider public was encouraged to consider local alternatives. For readers deciding whether the instruction affects them, the practical difference is between a workplace rule for official duties and a recommendation to other drivers.
The government cited concerns about the protection of official information, personal data and information about people's movements. It also pointed to Waze's legal ties to Israel. Waze was founded in Israel, and Anwar said the service was subject to Israeli law.
Location data can reveal more than a single destination. Repeated journeys can show routines, including where a person works and which places they regularly visit. That sensitivity helps explain why a navigation app became part of a national cybersecurity decision, even though its everyday purpose is simply to help people travel.
How the Launch and Disruption Unfolded
TuJu's development and the government's recent intervention span several dates. The app had been available for almost 11 months when the October 2026 recommendation brought renewed attention and increased demand.
- November 26, 2025: TuJu was introduced as a highway navigation app developed by PCSB in collaboration with LLM.
- October 20, 2026: Anwar chaired the National Cyber Security Committee meeting and encouraged consideration of local navigation alternatives. Shamsul Azri issued the letter restricting Waze use by civil servants.
- Following the public recommendation: The Traffic Management Centre announced temporary disruption to TuJu's navigation function during system improvements.
- October 22, 2026: LLM apologised and outlined work to restore stability, expand capacity and improve navigation accuracy.
- End of October 2026: TuJu's second version for iOS was expected after testing, following its release for Android.
The schedule brings two tasks together: repairing the service under heavier demand and introducing an updated version. LLM has said further information on recovery and improvements will be issued through its own official channels and those of TuJu.
What Version Two Adds
LLM Director of Operations and Maintenance Ir. Mohd Shahrir Amin Ahmad said TuJu's second version had been released for Android. The iOS version was expected at the end of October 2026 once testing was complete.
The update adds features related to electric vehicles, popular destinations and the ability to save places that users visit frequently. Mohd Shahrir Amin also described a function that helps users locate where they parked, including in large parking areas.
Saved destinations can reduce the need to enter the same address for repeated journeys. Parking location assistance serves a different part of the trip, helping a user return to a vehicle after reaching a destination. Details of the electric vehicle features were not specified.
The Android release and planned iOS release mean users on the two platforms may receive the newer functions at different times. The iOS timing was an expectation tied to completion of testing, while restoration of the disrupted navigation service remained a separate part of LLM's work.
How Emergency Reports Reach Highway Operators
TuJu includes an SOS button for users who encounter problems on a highway. Mohammed Ridzuan said information submitted through that function is passed to the relevant highway concessionaire for further action.
A concessionaire is the company responsible for operating a particular highway under an agreement with the government. Passing the report to the relevant operator connects the request with the organisation responsible for that stretch of road.
The emergency function sits alongside travel information, highway facilities and live camera feeds. Together, those services make TuJu more than a tool for selecting a route. They also provide information and a way to request assistance during a highway journey.
Security, Data and the Next Updates
LLM said it would continue working with the Works Ministry, NACSA and other relevant parties on the local navigation ecosystem. Security and data governance are part of that work, alongside service reliability and accuracy.
Data governance means the rules and responsibilities for collecting, using, storing and protecting information. In a navigation service, those decisions matter because location information is central to providing directions. The government's stated aim of digital sovereignty concerns Malaysia's control over the digital services and information on which it depends.
The immediate measure of progress for drivers will be concrete: dependable navigation, accurate route information and useful traffic updates. LLM has promised to take complaints seriously and publish recovery information through official LLM and TuJu channels.
Users can send complaints or feedback to [email protected]. That gives drivers a direct route to raise problems while PCSB and LLM continue restoration and development work.
Key Points
- LLM apologised on October 22, 2026, after increased demand disrupted TuJu.
- An LLM official said the app had exceeded 700,000 downloads.
- Navigation was temporarily disrupted, while live CCTV viewing and other available functions remained usable.
- LLM and PCSB are addressing capacity, stability, route accuracy and user complaints.
- The Waze restriction applies to civil servants during official duties; the wider public was encouraged to consider local alternatives.
- TuJu version two was released for Android, with iOS expected at the end of October after testing.
- Recovery updates will be shared through official LLM and TuJu channels.
