Malaysian software engineer Mohammad Hasif Afiq has created history after becoming the first Malaysian to be featured in Apple’s newly launched Developer Recognition programme.
The 30-year-old senior iOS engineer at Grab is among around 50 developers and community leaders worldwide selected in the inaugural batch of the global initiative.
Hasif described the recognition as a surreal and emotional moment after receiving an official email from Apple’s Developer Relations team informing him of the achievement.
“My first reaction was complete disbelief. I genuinely thought I had read it wrongly, so I reread the email a few times before immediately checking the Apple Developer website to confirm it for myself,” he said.
“Once it finally sank in, I felt shocked, excited and deeply grateful at the same time. Knowing that I was the only Malaysian featured made the moment even more surreal and emotional for me,” he added.
Hasif said the first people he shared the news with were his wife and parents.
Beyond personal success, he described the recognition as a proud achievement for Malaysia’s growing developer ecosystem and proof that local talent can gain international recognition.
“Being featured by Apple means a lot to me personally because it represents recognition from a company and ecosystem that has inspired me throughout my journey as a developer,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the achievement would inspire more Malaysian developers to confidently showcase their work on the global stage.
Hasif’s passion for app development reportedly began when he was 17 years old, driven by his interest in Apple technology before later pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science at Universiti Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam.
Over the years, he has developed several applications including Amalan Mukmin, Vacay, Hidayah App, Lylyn App and Bantu App, with the latter gaining strong local attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his professional career, Hasif was involved in building the Boost Business application and also served as one of the pioneer engineers at GXBank, Malaysia’s first digital bank, before joining Grab.
He said adapting to the rapidly changing technology industry was among the biggest challenges throughout his journey, with much of his expertise built through self-learning and experimentation.
Hasif also believes his contributions to Malaysia’s developer community helped attract Apple’s attention, particularly through the co-founding of SwiftLah! in April 2025, a community initiative for iOS developers and Apple enthusiasts in Malaysia.
The group has reportedly grown from just seven members to more than 200 through regular meetups, technical sharing sessions and networking events.
“Malaysia has a lot of talented developers capable of building world-class products. The challenge is usually not talent, but exposure, opportunities and access to the right platforms and communities,” he said.
