See how the 154th prays down Sporns' anger with her treating the pink IC cheeply. Instead it took the opportunity to psycho Sporns that Leegapore is a paradise.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Gong Li a S'porean? Why, netizens ask
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Singaporeans are divided over news that famous China actress Gong Li has apparently become a Singapore citizen.
Last week, The Sunday Times reported that a person of that name was slated to collect a pink IC at a national citizenship ceremony at the Supreme Court.
But the person was a no-show in the end.
Since then, netizens have speculated about why Gong Li, 42, famed for movies like Red Sorghum and Memoirs Of A Geisha, would take up Singapore citizenship.
A Sunday Times online poll reveals that only 36 per cent of the 33 respondents think she should give up her China citizenship.
One netizen, Ramzi, wrote on a forum: 'She probably prefers Singapore because we have more freedom and a better quality of life. I have worked in Hong Kong and China and seen life there. It's definitely much better here.'
Others wonder if the citizenship is merely a springboard to other countries, or just a travel convenience.
Netizen Bezxzer said: 'Perhaps the Singapore passport allows her access to countries more easily.'
But there are some who are pleased to have Gong Li - married to Singaporean tobacco businessman Ooi Hoe Seong - call Singapore home.
One blogger, Deborah, wrote: 'Gong Li's entrance would...propel Singapore's name further across the globe, boosting our reputation.'
Hairstylist David Gan, a good friend of the actress, confirmed that she had applied for a Singapore passport.
The Sunday Times tried to contact her through him but he said she did not return his call.
She was in Thailand early this month to promote her new film Shanghai with Hollywood actor John Cusack and Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat.
When contacted, the China Embassy here could not confirm if Gong Li had become a Singapore citizen.
One officer laughed and said: 'We knew about it only after reading your newspaper.'
Celebrity or not, Gong Li's no-show at the citizenship ceremony has drawn flak too.
Mr Jeffrey Law, 65, a freelance HR consultant, wrote to The Sunday Times saying it was unbecoming of a superstar like Gong Li to give the ceremony a miss. 'It is the sacred duty of those becoming Singapore citizens to attend the event.'
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Gong Li a S'porean? Why, netizens ask
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Singaporeans are divided over news that famous China actress Gong Li has apparently become a Singapore citizen.
Last week, The Sunday Times reported that a person of that name was slated to collect a pink IC at a national citizenship ceremony at the Supreme Court.
But the person was a no-show in the end.
Since then, netizens have speculated about why Gong Li, 42, famed for movies like Red Sorghum and Memoirs Of A Geisha, would take up Singapore citizenship.
A Sunday Times online poll reveals that only 36 per cent of the 33 respondents think she should give up her China citizenship.
One netizen, Ramzi, wrote on a forum: 'She probably prefers Singapore because we have more freedom and a better quality of life. I have worked in Hong Kong and China and seen life there. It's definitely much better here.'
Others wonder if the citizenship is merely a springboard to other countries, or just a travel convenience.
Netizen Bezxzer said: 'Perhaps the Singapore passport allows her access to countries more easily.'
But there are some who are pleased to have Gong Li - married to Singaporean tobacco businessman Ooi Hoe Seong - call Singapore home.
One blogger, Deborah, wrote: 'Gong Li's entrance would...propel Singapore's name further across the globe, boosting our reputation.'
Hairstylist David Gan, a good friend of the actress, confirmed that she had applied for a Singapore passport.
The Sunday Times tried to contact her through him but he said she did not return his call.
She was in Thailand early this month to promote her new film Shanghai with Hollywood actor John Cusack and Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat.
When contacted, the China Embassy here could not confirm if Gong Li had become a Singapore citizen.
One officer laughed and said: 'We knew about it only after reading your newspaper.'
Celebrity or not, Gong Li's no-show at the citizenship ceremony has drawn flak too.
Mr Jeffrey Law, 65, a freelance HR consultant, wrote to The Sunday Times saying it was unbecoming of a superstar like Gong Li to give the ceremony a miss. 'It is the sacred duty of those becoming Singapore citizens to attend the event.'
