Ronny Chieng Trades ‘Jalur Gemilang’ for Stars & Stripes

By Danial Martinus  •  07 Apr 2025 in News

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In a plot twist worthy of his own Netflix special, Johor-born comedian Ronny Chieng has officially ditched his Malaysian citizenship.

The 40-year-old Daily Show correspondent recently became an American citizen, a revelation that came to light in the most Hollywood way possible—courtesy of comedy legend Bill Murray.

A bombshell during a Q&A

Murray, 75, casually dropped the bombshell during a surprise appearance on Chieng’s show, strolling onto the set during an audience Q&A session.

“They said that you’re very excited today because, today, you just found out that you have become an American citizen,” Murray announced, before giving Chieng a congratulatory handshake and hug that probably meant more to the comedian than his law degree ever did.

Chieng, who was born in Johor Bahru but grew up ping-ponging between Singapore, Manchester (New Hampshire, not the one with the football team), and eventually Australia, confirmed the citizenship news with his trademark dry humour.

“It’s a crazy experience to become a US citizen the same day you’re supposed to interview Bill Murray. It’s been a long day,” Chieng told the audience, who were presumably wondering if this was part of his act.

“I had to go for the interview, they asked you, like, a hundred questions. It’s questions which I bet none of you could f***ing answer,” he continued. “I had to memorise how many colonies there were, and there was, like, a state, and who’s the president right now—it was very difficult.”

One can only imagine Chieng frantically Googling “US President who?” minutes before his citizenship test.

Another milestone in an already glittering career

While the United States allows dual citizenship under certain conditions, Malaysian law requires citizens to surrender their Malaysian passport when becoming citizens elsewhere.

So Chieng, whose international star has risen dramatically since joining The Daily Show in 2015, has officially cut ties with his birth country—though his accent remains stubbornly unclassifiable.

The citizenship change marks another milestone in Chieng’s improbable journey from law student to comedy superstar. Despite graduating from the prestigious University of Melbourne with dual degrees in Law and Commerce, Chieng couldn’t land a legal job due to what he describes as “bad grades.”

“Everyone around me was these very hyper-competitive type-A people who were getting really good jobs at these big law firms. And I felt a little left out at the time,” Chieng shared in an NPR podcast.

“But in hindsight, I’m like, ‘Oh man, I’m so glad I never got hired,’ because I think it would have been more difficult for me to quit a job and do comedy.”

Now, with American citizenship secured, Chieng can finally vote in the country he’s been mercilessly roasting for years.

The comedian, who once described his comedy style as “complaining with jokes,” now has all the legal rights to complain about America as an actual American—a privilege he’ll undoubtedly exercise to full comedic effect.

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