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M'sian man, 31, designs SG60 shirt, inspired by S'poreans who helped him through hard times
For his earliest and strongest supporters.
August 10, 2025, 03:04 PM
A Malaysian man who designs and prints shirts in Johor Bahru (JB) designed a t-shirt for Singapore's National Day.
Sharing on Instagram, the founder of Joyy Colony, 31-year-old Afiq Abdul Latif, said that he made a shirt for SG60 for the "memories and love" and the "two lands that were once one."
He added that in 2023, he faced numerous trials and challenges, but it was the Singaporeans who lifted him.
"I am nobody. I'm just someone who creates content about Singapore — what we can and cannot do there as Malaysians," he shared.
"This is not just a shirt. This is proof of the love between two nations, two cultures, one soul.
From Malaysia to Singapore, happy 60th National Day."
For his supporters
Speaking to Mothership, Afiq shared that he worked as a manager at McDonald's for 10 years before he moved back to Malaysia in 2023.
In 2022, his first child was diagnosed with the possibility of Down Syndrome during pregnancy, and doctors advised him to terminate the pregnancy.
"After five years of waiting for a child, hearing that broke me," Afiq said.
He then made a video about his situation, and numerous Singaporeans reached out to him, giving him words of encouragement and offering in-person advice on their journeys raising children with Down Syndrome.
Then again, in 2023, when he went through a personal hardship, Singaporeans, both strangers and customers he didn't know, stepped up to help him.
This inspired him to design shirts related to Singapore as a Malaysian.
"Because most of my earliest and strongest supporters were Singaporeans. They bought my first drops, encouraged me, and prayed for me during my hardest moments," said Afiq.
He started selling shirts while working in Singapore, and during his four-day leave, he set up a small studio to sell his shirts on a livestream.
In those four days, he sold between 500 and 700 shirts, 80 per cent of which were from Singaporeans.
Touching on the SG60 National Day t-shirt, it was Afiq's way of showing his gratitude to the people who helped him when he had nothing.
"I also want to sent a message to Malaysians — don't hate Singaporeans. Once Malaysia and Singapore were one land. At the heart, we're the same people."
Afiq hopes his story sends a message of gratitude and unity where kindness knows no border.
Top photos via Joyy Colony/Instagram
