May 15, 2026
World
World
Madrid, May 15 — Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé was jeered by sections of the Santiago Bernabéu crowd during his side’s 2-0 La Liga victory over Real Oviedo on Thursday.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Software engineer Mohammad Hasif Afiq has become the first Malaysian to be recognised 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 for the inaugural group.
Hasif said he was shocked and emotional upon receiving the official notification email from Apple’s Developer Relations team yesterday.
“My first reaction was disbelief. I thought I misread it, so I checked the email several times before confirming it on the Apple Developer website,” he said.
He added that he first shared the news with his wife and parents, describing the recognition as a deeply meaningful moment both personally and for Malaysia’s developer community.
“Being featured by Apple is a huge honour. It reflects years of work, learning, and passion for building apps,” he said, adding that he hopes it inspires more Malaysian developers to showcase their work globally.
Hasif, who began exploring app development at 17, credited his early interest in Apple technology and self-learning journey before pursuing a Computer Science degree at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam.
Over the years, he has built several apps including Amalan Mukmin, Vacay, Hidayah App, Lylyn App and Bantu App, with the latter gaining traction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professionally, he contributed to building Boost Business from scratch, was among the early engineers at GXBank, and is now working at Grab on products used across the region.
He also co-founded SwiftLah! in April 2025, a Malaysian iOS developer community that has grown from seven members to more than 200, aiming to strengthen networking and knowledge-sharing among Apple developers.
Hasif said Apple’s recognition reflects not only product-building skills but also contributions to the wider developer ecosystem.
He added that Malaysia has strong technical talent, but greater exposure and access to opportunities are key to helping more developers reach global platforms. — Bernama
