COMMUNICATIONS Minister Fahmi Fadzil today rejected claims that he had instructed Google to disable its currency converter widget for the ringgit. 

Fahmi, who is also the unity government spokesman, said Google disabled the widget following feedback from Bank Negara Malaysia, he said in a post on X today. 

“Google said they were running tests with a data provider whom they had identified and would restore the widget once they are sure incidents do not reoccur,” he said in response to criticism from online users. 

In March, Google Malaysia had issued an apology for the erroneous US dollar-ringgit (USD-MYR) exchange rate published on its finance page. 

It also went on to say that it provided currency exchange rates for informational purposes only. 

The apology was issued after Bank Negara Malaysia said the exchange rate shown in February was in error.  

Fahmi also said he had reached out to Google to ensure the matter was addressed. – August 15, 2024.