Shimba The Cat Of 2025 Merdeka Parade Fame Dies After Bouts Of Illness
Shimba shot to fame after capturing hearts at the 2025 Merdeka parade.
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Fans of Shimba the cat mourned his passing after its owner announced the sad news on his TikTok account.
Shimba was a cat rescued by the Malaysia Civil Defense Force (APM) and became an overnight fan favourite when it appeared in the 2025 Merdeka parade.
TikTok user Tiburon (@jerung130) shared with his followers that Shimba was ill for a few days and they waited for an appointment at the government vet clinic.
@jerung130 Thank you shimba selama setahun 3 bulan ni, lps ni ramai merindukan kamu, dengan yeyen pon hilang, kau pulak pergi. maaf kalau ada salah silap, aku tk mampu nk kata ape dah shimba. Hancur hati aku ni. Sejak kau takde😔
♬ suara asli – Sadvibes🥀 – sadvibes🥀
Sadly, Shimba died before they could meet the doctor. Words of condolences poured in with many curious about the nature of Shimba’s illness.
A user shared that they will miss seeing Shimba at the parade next year. Cat lovers understood Tiburon’s heartbreak over losing Shimba since they have experienced the similar sense of loss before.
Following this turn of events, pet owners are advised to take their sickly pets to a private clinic if waiting for an appointment at a government clinic takes too long.
Rise to fame
During the Merdeka parade this year, APM featured Shimba and another rescue cat Yenyen on their float. The well-behaved felines made such a splash that they were later invited as guests on Astro’s Radio Era.
@era.je Shimba ni dulu sangkut atas pokok, nasib baik Tuan Azmi dari Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia selamatkan. Kisah Yenyen pulak lahir setahun lepas mak dia diselamatkan masa banjir di Sri Muda beberapa tahun lepas. Salute kat semua anggota APM yang sentiasa jadi penyelamat bukan saja manusia, tapi juga haiwan kesayangan kita. 🙌🇲🇾 #sharERA #3PAGIERA #fyp ♬ original sound – ERA
Shimba was originally from Penang, according to his handler Azmi.
The story unfolded when Azmi’s cousin engaged his help to rescue Shimba, after the cat got itself stuck in a tree.
After being rescued, Azmi said his cousin asked if he wanted to adopt Shimba. Long story short, that is how Shimba moved from Penang to KL and ended up in the care of an APM officer.
Meanwhile, the story of APM’s orange cat Yenyen began during the floods in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam.
APM officer Syawal said he rescued Yenyen’s mother from a roof during the floods. He then brought Yenyen’s mother back to their base and cared for her. Later on, she gave birth to Yenyen.
Unfortunately, it is learned that Yenyen is now missing.
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