KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has refuted inaccurate ringgit exchange data from Google which indicated that the ringgit has hit RM4.98 to the US dollar.
"This is inaccurate information and does not reflect the actual trading (of the ringgit)," it said in a statement, adding this was the second time the tech giant's data on the ringgit exchange was inaccurate.
BNM said as of March 15, the ringgit traded at RM4.70 to the US dollar.
"In the past two weeks, the ringgit has strengthened 0.76 per cent against the US dollar."
The central bank said it already issued a "stern warning letter" to Google after the first incident of misreporting on Feb 6.
"As this is the second instance of misreporting, BNM will be engaging Google for an explanation of how the inaccurate reporting occurred and the corrective measures taken given that this is a recurring issue."
"Members of the public are advised to rely on official data, including from BNM."
BNM urged the public against circulating unverified information about the ringgit.
"The exchange rate is market-sensitive data and any inaccurate reporting and circulation of unverified data can cause serious implications for the financial markets."