King Oyen, a six-year-old American Shorthair cat, attended the full rehearsal for the 2026 National Day Parade held today at Dataran Putrajaya [1, 2, 3]. Arriving on his own "superbike," King Oyen wore a shirt, a Jalur Gemilang-patterned tanjak, and dark sunglasses, attracting the attention of thousands of visitors [1, 2, 3].
Owned by 54-year-old Mohd Salleh Zakaria, King Oyen was there to support his "youngest sister," Siti Aleesa Nadia, who is part of the Ministry of National Unity's parade contingent [1, 2, 3]. This marks King Oyen's fourth year participating in National Day parade events [1, 2, 3].
Mohd Salleh Zakaria said King Oyen is used to loud noises such as fighter jets, helicopters, and heavy machinery and has been trained to remain calm and disciplined in crowded, noisy settings. "At home, he is mischievous like any ordinary cat, but when he is outside, he is very disciplined and follows instructions," he added [2].
King Oyen enjoys watching air shows with fighter jets and helicopters and can perform commands like shaking hands and giving fist bumps, according to his owner’s wife, 53-year-old Siti Zalifah Abd Aziz. She said, "Usually, many people want to take pictures with him. We live in Kuala Lumpur and often bring him to KL Car Free Morning and other events. We also take him kayaking, horse riding and cycling" [2].
The family has seven other cats at home [1, 2, 3]. King Oyen’s social media accounts have a significant following, with over 77,000 TikTok followers and more than 24,000 Instagram followers under the handle king_oyen2022 [1, 2, 3].
Visitors at the rehearsal were delighted to meet King Oyen. Wan Anis Farieha Wan Ahmad Kaspi said her three children, aged 9, 7, and 5, were "very excited to meet King Oyen, who could be considered a VIP. We managed to take a photograph with Oyen" [2].
King Oyen’s presence at the rehearsal brightened the atmosphere and drew many photo requests from both local and foreign visitors [1, 2, 3].
