Grab Engineer Becomes First Malaysian Recognised By Apple In Global Developer Honours Programme
Mohammad Hasif Afiq self-learned app development since he was 17 years old and later pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
A software engineer who works for e-hailing and delivery app Grab recently made history as the first Malaysian to be featured in Apple’s new Developer Recognition Programme.
Mohammad Hasif Afiq, 30, currently serves as a senior iOS engineer at Grab and is among 50 developers as well as community leaders recognised globally in the initiative’s inaugural batch.
According to Bernama, Hasif described the recognition from the global tech lifestyle giant as a surreal and emotional moment when he received an official email from Apple’s Developer Relations team on Thursday (14 May).
“My first reaction was complete disbelief. I genuinely thought I had read it wrongly, so I reread the email a few times before immediately going to the Apple Developer website to confirm it for myself.
“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 told Bernama when contacted.
More than just a personal achievement
Hasif said the recognition represented more than just a personal achievement, describing it instead as a proud moment for Malaysia’s local developer ecosystem.
“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. Apple has always set a very high standard for innovation, creativity, and user experience, so to be acknowledged by them is truly an honour.
“I hope this can inspire more Malaysians developers to confidently showcase their work and contribute to the global developer community. Talent exists everywhere, including Malaysia, and I believe this recognition shows that our work can also gain international attention and appreciation,” he said.
From self-learning and experimentation to building apps for big companies
Hasif said he took an interest in app development at the age of 17. The interest was driven by a fascination with Apple’s technology, which led him to build small projects through self-learning and experimentation before pursuing a Bachelor or Computer Science at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam.
Over the years, he had developed several applications, including Amalan Mukmin, Vacay, Hidayah App, Lylyn App, and Bantu App, with some gaining popularity locally, especially the Bantu App during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professionally, Hasif helped build the Boost Business application from scratch and was among the pioneer engineers at Malaysia’s first digital bank, GXBank, before he joined Grab to develop products used by millions across Southeast Asia.
Adapting to fast-changing technology
Speaking about his journey, Hasif said one of the biggest challenges he faced as a developer was adapting to the rapidly evolving technology industry, with much of his learning coming through self-learning, trial, and error, and independently solving technical issues.
He believes that his efforts in fostering the local developer community caught Apple’s attention, particularly through the co-founding of SwiftLah! in April 2025 as a community initiative for iOS developers and Apple enthusiasts in Malaysia.
The group has since grown from just seven members to over 200 through regular meetups, technical sharing sessions, and networking events.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.
