BR1M, GST and the Bersih 4 rally are among the Top 10 list of 'trending searches' that Malaysians look for through the popular search engine Google this year, according to the company.
In a statement today, Google Malaysia said 'BR1M 2015' was the second most searched term on its website google.com.my , which is the US-based tech giant's Malaysian offshoot.
It falls behind ‘HRMIS 2.0’, which is a human resource management portal used by the civil service that occupies the Number One spot.
This year, households earning RM3,000 and below a month are eligible to RM950 in cash aid under the BR1M (1Malaysia People's Aid) scheme.
Households earning between RM3,000 and RM4,000 are eligible for RM750 in payments, while unmarried individuals aged 21 and above and earning RM2,000 and below are eligible for RM350.
Meanwhile, the GST (Goods and Services Tax) occupied the ninth position on the list, after being implemented since April 1 this year amid much controversy.
The Bersih 4 rally, which was held on Aug 29 and 30, rounds off the Top 10 list. It drew a crowd of about 80,000 to the streets of Kuala Lumpur at its peak, while smaller rallies were also held all around the world.
Also on the list is the ringgit-to-US dollar conversion rate at the seventh position, and the desktop edition of the popular instant messaging service WhatsApp, dubbed WhatsApp Web, at the eighth position.
The value of the ringgit against the US dollar has been falling since September last year, amid falling commodity prices and the ongoing 1MDB scandal.
The WhatsApp Web service was launched in January this year.
Most Malaysians turn to for info
Google Malaysia communications chief Zeffri Yusof said it hopes the list it has compiled reflects the zeitgeist in the country.
“Google searches continue to act as a cultural barometer that gives us a real snapshot of the major events, popular individuals and top trends that collectively made an impact on the lives of Malaysians.
“Google is where most Malaysians turn to for information and we hope the lists we’ve compiled on Malaysian searches reflect the national ‘spirit of the times’,” he said.
According to the frequently asked questions page on the Google Trends website, the 'trending searches' list do not represent internet search terms that have been used most often.
Instead, it means these search terms have seen the most significant increases in search traffic.
Meanwhile, Malaysiakini topped the list of the most searched Malaysian news site, according to Google Malaysia.
The Malaysian Insider ranked second on the list, followed by the Malay-language daily Sinar Harian .
