After so many years, actress Sora Ma is at last a Singaporean. On Apr 16, the 41-year-old Malaysia-born actress took to her Instagram to recount her journey.
“At the time, I was heavily pregnant, just one or two weeks away from giving birth. My girlfriend, Karen suggested that I change my citizenship status to make it easier to handle my child’s affairs in the future,” she said.
Ma gave birth to her son, Skye, who’s now nine months old, in August last year.
Her businessman husband, known only to the public as Mr R, died in June, two months before their son was born. He was said to be 48 and his death was unexpected.
The actress shared that she didn’t think much about changing her citizenship at first, but her friend’s words were a “wake-up call” for her as she was still adjusting to handling everything on her own.
Ma decided to write an email to her MP, Dr Koh Poh Koon, who has been representing Tampines GRC since 2020.
“I still remember sending it on a Saturday morning at 7.06 AM. To my surprise, I received a reply just 40 minutes later, and the email showed that he had responded from his phone. I was truly impressed by his efficiency,” recalled Ma.
She had her documents ready and went to Minister Koh’s office a week or two later.
“I’m not sure if my case was unique or if the MP’s involvement helped speed things up, but my citizenship application was approved much faster than expected!” she said.
Ma eventually received her pink IC and new citizenship on Jan 22, 2025, which happened to be her birthday.
“A new birthday, a new beginning. No matter how challenging life may be, I remain hopeful and appreciative of every step forward,” wrote the actress.
Now this is finally home truly for Ma.
