Born and raised in a working-class family, she worked part time in factories, a bakery and a laundry, and also as a street vendor while growing up. When she later served as a journalist, the owner of the newspaper company she worked for shut down operations with the intention of stiffing the employees of the severance pay they were due. Mild-mannered Ma thus had her first experience demonstrating in the streets.
勞工家庭出身的她，從小即在工廠、麵包店、洗衣店、地攤等地打工，長大任職記者之後，又遭遇報社停刊、老闆企圖規避資遣費的事件，個性溫順的她因此有了人生第一次街頭抗議經驗。