If you’ve always relied on Google Search for currency conversion, here’s some good news. Google has finally reinstated its currency widget for MYR (Ringgit Malaysia) searches, making it easier to get a quick conversion while you are travelling overseas.
No more weird workarounds, just a simple “USD to MYR” or “CNY to MYR” search to find out the latest currency exchange rate.
To recap, Google removed its currency conversion widget for MYR-related currency searches after it was reprimanded for showing the wrong USD to MYR exchange rate. Bank Negara Malaysia dismissed Google’s inaccurate exchange rate of RM4.98 to 1 USD on 15th March 2024, when the actual rate was supposed to be RM4.70 to the dollar.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil at the time reminded the public not to share wrong information about the currency exchange rate and has sought clarification from Google about the erroneous data.
Eventually, Google apologised and said they have resolved the issue with the third party that provided the USD to MYR exchange rate. However, the widget never came back for MYR-related searches until recently.
Fahmi denied that Google’s disabling of the currency converter widget was based on directives from any particular party. He said Google’s decision to temporarily disable the feature was aimed at resolving various technical issues. He said the MYR exchange rate display will be restored once all necessary processes by Google are finalised.
At the time, one workaround was to search for non-MYR related currency conversion on Google Search and then manually select MYR from the dropdown box when the widget appears. Many others have moved on to other alternatives which include iOS 18’s calculator that has a built-in currency converter tool.
Thanks @sainod for the tip!
