Community leaders have spoken out on behalf of national athlete Thiruben Thana Rajan, after a national day poster that included him and his family drew nasty comments online.

Some people had posted questions about the family’s origins on the posters.

This sparked a backlash from the community that brought comfort to the 20-year-old college student.

Residents of Tanjong Pagar GRC and State Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, Alvin Tan, MP for the constituency, criticized the racist and xenophobic comments.

Last Saturday Prime Minister’s Cabinet Minister Indranee Rajah, who is Mr Thiruben’s MP, came to visit his family and see how they were doing.

And on Sunday evening, a group of 41 residents of Seng Poh Estate in Tiong Bahru sent a letter to Mr. Thiruben and his family, saying, “We stand by your side against racism, racial baiting, xenophobia and the ‘ignoring.”

Ms Indranee said people of all races spoke out against hate speech on their own and rejected displayed racism and xenophobia.

This response shows that people appreciate a multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural Singapore, she said. “All they knew at this point was that an Indian family had been unfairly and badly targeted, that it was wrong and that they were against it.

“The National Day is not only a celebration of our independence as a country. It is also about who we are as a people and our values,” added the Minister. “We are a people who will put the words ‘regardless of race, language or religion into action.’ And we are a people who will support one another when it is needed most.”

As for Mr Thiruben and his family, the supportive testimonies of many who supported them outweigh the comments of a few closed-minded people.

On August 2, Mr Thiruben explained in an Instagram post that he and his family were invited to appear on one of 20 different posters featuring families of different races and religions.

He added that his parents moved to Singapore over 30 years ago from Malaysia, and that he and his siblings were born and raised here.

In a subsequent Instagram post on August 3, Mr Thiruben thanked those who showed their love and support. He said: “Whether you are the minority or the majority, Singaporean or an immigrant, I hope our history has enabled you to stand up against those who are constantly trying to put you in a box.”

A runner, he has represented Singapore since the age of 15 in several international competitions, including the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi in 2017, where he became the national record holder for the under-18s over 400m. in 47.91 seconds.

His neighbors added in their letter to him and his family: “Thank you for raising the flag of our country. We are with you.