KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — If you need to know something, the best way is to just Google it and this includes any questions such as currency exchange rates.

However, it seems that Google has removed one feature on its search results if you want to know the current value of the Malaysian Ringgit (RM) against other foreign currencies.

Google quotes other sources for RM conversion searches

Typically, you can get the latest foreign currency exchange rates by simply searching for US$ to RM, € to RM or £ to RM on Google Search. On top of that, Google will display a currency converter widget which displays a graph showing the price changes in the past day, five days, one month, five years or more.

This morning we noticed that the currency converter widget is no longer showing on the search results for RM-related searches. This includes US$ to RM, RM to US$, yen to RM, SG$ to RM, yuan to RM and € to RM. Instead, you’ll be getting search results of currency exchange rates from third-party websites. From our own searches, Google is showing search result snippets from Forbes Advisor or Revolut.

Even if you perform a voice search, Google will now quote information from third-party websites for the RM-related currency conversion.

Interestingly, this doesn’t impact non-RM related searches. Google’s popular search converter widget still shows in search results for other currencies such as SG$ to US$, US$ to SG$, SG$ to €, € to US$ and US$ to £.

How to access Google Search’s currency converter for US$ to RM?

If you still prefer to use Google’s currency converter widget for RM-related searches, here’s a workaround you can do:

1. Search for non-Malaysia Ringgit-related currency conversion (e.g US$ to SG$, € to SG$, £ to ¥)
2. Change the currency from the drop-down menu
3. The widget should show the currency conversion you want for RM.

Google caught showing inaccurate US$ to RM conversion rates

Last week, Google was reprimanded for displaying the wrong US$ to RM exchange rate on March 15, 2024. Many had shared on social media that the Malaysian Ringgit had slumped to a rate of US$ 1 to 4.98.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reminded the public not to share the wrong information about the currency exchange rate. He also sought clarification from Google about the erroneous data. Bank Negara Malaysia also dismissed Google’s displayed rate and clarified that the ringgit was quoted at RM4.7015 against the US dollar on March 15.

On March 18, Google issued an apology on X (formerly known as Twitter) and said they had contacted the third party that provided the US$-RM exchange rate information to correct their error. At the time, they said that they have resolved the problem and apologised for the confusion caused.

The search giant said it provided currency exchange rates for information purposes only and urged users to consult the BNM website for making any financial decisions. It also provided a link to its Google Finance data disclaimer which says "Google cannot guarantee the accuracy of the exchange rates displayed. You should confirm current rates before making any transactions that could be affected by changes in the exchange rates.”

We have reached out to Google Malaysia for further clarification on the currency conversion widget on Google search. — SoyaCincau