The Man Who Transforms Trash Into Triumphant Cosplay Dreams Part 1:
In a Small Sarawak Town, One Cosplayer is Proving That Creativity Beats Cash Every Single Time
Picture this: It’s 2 AM in Miri, Sarawak. Most of the town is asleep. But in a modest home, Mohamad Zulhafizie Bin Senin is wide awake, his fingers dancing between a hot glue gun and pieces of cardboard that once held instant noodles. His daughter, Puteri Cahaya Bintang—Princess Star Light—is sleeping soundly in the next room. His wife, who shares his creative passion, has already called it a night. But Zulhafizie can’t stop. Not yet.
Because in his hands, a Maggi box is becoming something magical.
Fast forward two months, and that collection of discarded packaging has transformed into a 7-foot-tall Springtrap costume from Five Nights at Freddy’s—towering, menacing, and so detailed that people can’t believe it’s made entirely from garbage. The total cost? RM150. That’s less than what some cosplayers spend on a single wig.
“Some people may look down on low-budget cosplayers,” Zulhafizie tells me, and there’s fire in his voice. “But one day, skill and creativity will be stronger than money.”
This is a man on a mission to prove that Malaysian cosplay doesn’t belong only to those who can afford imported foam, expensive thermoplastics, or professional fabrication tools. This is about reclaiming creativity for everyone.
When Poverty Becomes Your Greatest Teacher
Let’s rewind to 1997. Ten-year-old Zulhafizie is sitting in front of the TV, completely mesmerized by a British show called Art Attack. While other kids are watching cartoons, he’s learning how to turn toilet paper rolls into rockets, how newspaper can become sculpture, how literally anything can become art if you have imagination. For young Zulhafizie, this was a survival manual for his creativity.
“I came from a low-budget background,” he says simply, but those words carry weight. “Cardboard was the only material I could afford.”
Think about what that means. While kids in Kuala Lumpur might have been visiting craft stores with their parents, picking out colourful papers and fancy markers, Zulhafizie was learning to see treasure in what others threw away. A cardboard box wasn’t trash—it was potential. Simple watercolours weren’t “basic”—they were what you used to bring your visions to life.
His first creation? A dragon mask. Hand-crafted, probably imperfect, but 100% his own.
That ten-year-old couldn’t have known that he was developing a superpower. While others were learning to shop for art supplies, he was learning to CREATE art supplies from nothing. While others were following instructions from kits, he was writing his own instructions.
By 2014, when he officially entered the cosplay scene at age 17, he’d already spent seven years mastering a craft that most cosplayers never touch: making something magnificent from literal garbage.
The Springtrap That Changed Everything
Let me tell you about what it takes to build a 7-foot costume from cardboard.
First, you need to understand that cardboard isn’t like foam or fabric. It doesn’t bend gracefully. It doesn’t forgive mistakes. Every curve, every contour, every piece has to be calculated, cut, scored, and formed into shape. Those smooth curves on Springtrap’s arms? Each one represents hours of patient folding, testing, adjusting, and reinforcing.
Now imagine doing this after a full day of work as an interior designer. Imagine coming home, spending time with your family, putting your daughter to bed, and THEN starting your real work. Not because anyone’s paying you. Not because there’s a competition with prize money. But because you have something to prove.
“Most of the work was done late at night,” Zulhafizie explains, “especially when preparing for events.”
Two months. Sixty-plus days of late nights. All while juggling a full-time job and family responsibilities.
And here’s where it gets beautiful: every single piece of Springtrap—from the feet to those menacing ears—came from boxes that people threw away. Instant noodle packaging. Maggi boxes. Cardboard from supermarkets that were going to be crushed and recycled anyway. Even the soundproof panels for his Kaiju No. 8 costume? Found discarded behind a hotel.
One person’s trash became Zulhafizie’s art gallery.
The tools? A hot glue gun and white glue for reinforcement. That’s it. No laser cutters. No 3D printers. No fancy workshop. Just determination, creativity, and hands that refused to give up.
But here’s what really matters: when Zulhafizie brought Springtrap to local events in Miri, people didn’t see “cheap cosplay” or “budget costume.” They saw a 7-foot animatronic nightmare that commanded attention and respect. They saw artistry. They saw craftsmanship.
They saw proof that money doesn’t make the cosplayer—the cosplayer makes the costume.
The Philosophy Born from Midnight Mistakes
Ask Zulhafizie about his biggest challenge, and his answer will surprise you.
It’s not finding materials. It’s not lacking expensive tools. It’s not even the time management nightmare of balancing work, family, and crafting.
“The biggest challenge I face is not giving up,” he says. “I often make mistakes in sizing and shaping, but instead of quitting, I fix and improve the costume until it works.”
Read that again. His biggest challenge is staying motivated when things go wrong.
This is the truth that nobody posts on Instagram. The truth that doesn’t make it into the competition stage photos. The truth that every single cosplayer faces but few talk about: cosplay is full of failures, mistakes, and moments where you want to throw everything in the trash and give up.
But here’s what separates Zulhafizie from people who dream about cosplay but never start: when something goes wrong, he doesn’t see failure. He sees a problem that needs fixing.
Cardboard piece the wrong size? Cut a new one. Shape not quite right? Add reinforcement and adjust. Proportions off? Rebuild that section. The costume doesn’t have to be perfect—it has to be finished.
“Instead of quitting, I fix and improve the costume until it works.”
This is the mindset that turns Maggi boxes into masterpieces. This is the philosophy that every beginner needs tattooed on their brain: perfection is the enemy of completion, and completion is the only path to improvement.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Here’s what makes Zulhafizie’s story so powerful: he’s not some cosplay celebrity with sponsorships and brand deals. He’s not a professional prop maker who turned their hobby into a business. He’s not even in Kuala Lumpur, where the cosplay scene is vibrant and connected.
He’s a 27-year-old interior designer in Miri, Sarawak, working with materials he collects from supermarkets, building costumes after his daughter goes to sleep, creating art in one of the most geographically isolated cosplay communities in Malaysia.
And he’s doing it anyway.
Because here’s what he understands that a lot of the Malaysian cosplay community has forgotten, cosplay was never supposed to be about money. It was supposed to be about passion for characters, love of craftsmanship, and the joy of bringing imagination into reality.
Somewhere along the way, as cosplay went mainstream and social media made everything a competition, we started equating budget with quality. Better materials = better cosplay. More expensive tools = more respect. Professional-grade = actually good.
Zulhafizie is here to burn that equation to the ground.
“Cosplay should not be judged by how expensive it is,” he says, and it’s not defensive—it’s declarative. “Some people may look down on low-budget cosplayers when compared to high-end costumes, but one day, skill and creativity will be stronger than money.”
One day? Brother, that day is already here. Your Springtrap is proof.
The Family That Creates Together
Behind every great cosplayer is a support system, and Zulhafizie’s is built on love.
His wife shares his creative hobby—imagine having a life partner who understands why you need to stay up until 3 AM glueing cardboard. Who doesn’t roll their eyes when you come home with another haul of “garbage” from the supermarket? Who gets it?
And then there’s Puteri Cahaya Bintang—Princess Star Light. What a name to give your daughter. What a vision to have for her future.
“My family is my biggest motivation,” Zulhafizie says, and suddenly everything clicks into place.
This is about showing his daughter that creativity doesn’t require money. That resourcefulness is a superpower. That you can make art from anything if you refuse to let limitations define you.
This is about building a legacy bigger than cardboard. And it is bigger than just about making cool costumes.
When Puteri Cahaya Bintang grows up and looks back at her father’s work, she won’t remember that the costumes were made from trash. She’ll remember that her dad made magic with his hands. She’ll remember that he never let “I can’t afford it” stop him from creating. She’ll remember that when the world said “you need money to make art,” her father said “watch this” and proved everyone wrong.
That’s the real masterpiece Zulhafizie is building.
The Man Who Transforms Trash Into Triumphant Cosplay Dreams
Mohamad Zulhafizie Bin Senin is a 27-year-old interior designer and cosplayer based in Miri, Sarawak. He specialises in cardboard costume construction and advocates for accessible, low-budget cosplay. He lives with his wife and daughter, Puteri Cahaya Bintang, and continues to create late into the night because some dreams refuse to wait for morning.
You can check out more on Zulhafizie work on his social media
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bcr2Pyq2K/
https://www.instagram.com/hafizrx98
Noizu is organizing the World Cosplay Summit Malaysia 2026 and manages multiple cosplay-focused digital properties across Malaysia. The future of Malaysian cosplay is diverse, accessible, and built by people like Zulhafizie who refuse to let limitations define possibility.
[Part 2 will explore Zulhafizie’s impact on the community, practical guidance for beginners, and his vision for democratising Malaysian cosplay and a glipmse in to his work of art]
Salty Katz Sharky
Hi, I’m Salty Katz Sharky—a proud cosplayer and a girl who believes in the magic of having fun. Because at the heart of it all, cosplay is about joy, creativity, and embracing who you are.
“Cosplay isn’t about perfection—it’s about passion, creativity, and the courage to bring your favorite characters to life. Remember, every stitch, every pose, every step is a celebration of who you are. Keep creating, keep dreaming, and most importantly, keep having fun!”
