It is frustrating and extremely demotivating, but this did not stop a young man from Penang from moving on and finding a different source of income.

After being retrenched, 26-year-old Muhammad Syukur Mohd Patthi together with his friends Yusri Md Saad, 35 dan Mohamad Zaidi Zainal Abidin, 33 decided to start their own business instead.

The three came up with the idea to sell corn juice and to make sure they stood out; they also transformed into superheroes.

Costumed businessmen

Well, the three who love cosplaying, have been making waves in Penang for selling their product while in full costume.

Dressed as Iron Man, Bumblebee, Predator, Power Rangers and various other characters, the three have been boosting their sales and putting smiles on the faces of their customers.

"It's the kids that usually get most excited.

"If I see that they're real fans, I even try and mimic some of the mannerisms of the characters. It's just fun to see how happy they get," said Syukur when speaking to Rojak Daily.

The former telecommunication employee said that donning costumes was no easy feat as they had to bear with the heat, the weight and sometimes even the rain for hours.

"We sell our product from the boot of our car, so we're relatively mobile.

"What we usually do is we find a suitable location and set up there for about 6 hours a day," he said, adding that all three were usually suited up.

Cosplay fans

Syukur said that prior to losing his job, he used to cosplay together with Yusri and Zaidi for parties and events but all that stopped after COVID-19 took over the world.

"We love cosplaying, and we love entertaining people.

"In the end, when we're tired, it's those smiles that always keep us going," he said.

Muhammad Syukur added that other than the funky costumes, the three also tried to ensure that they served good quality corn juice.

"We don't use sugar but we add some milk and it's yummy," he said.

So, all of you in Penang, if you're craving for a nice drink and maybe a chance to meet some superheroes, do keep tabs of these three young men via the Geng Superhero Penang Facebook page.