Take a look at this poster:
Just a good old poster wishing residents a happy National Day, right? You have some ministers, you have some MPs, and you have some Singaporeans; nothing inflammatory.
Yet when some netizens stumbled upon this poster, whether online or on the street, they boiled with rage and aimed some rather insensitive comments at the family pictured at the corner.
Why?
Because they were believed to be from India.
Netizens Make Xenophobic Comments About Indian Family on Poster; MP Calls Remarks “Sickening”
According to MP Tanjong Pagar MP Alvin Tan, the banner was one of many put up across Tanjong Pagar to “celebrate the rich multicultural diversity of our residents”.
It featured several families of different ethnicities, as well as groups of youths, seniors, and children.
Wholesome would be the word to describe these posters. It clearly aimed to stir some feeling of national pride in the lead up to the country’s 56th birthday.
Sadly, some netizens, as Mr Tan noted, were unhappy with the depiction of an Indian family on one banner, and passed prejudicial remarks.
“Are they even citizens?” one commenter asked.
“Did not know that we are the minority and not included in the celebration” said another.
Some even used it as an opportunity to denounce the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which as we all know, is a touchy topic for some Singaporeans here.
Mr Tan, who was also pictured on the banner, called the comments “sickening”.
“I am pained by these remarks. They do not and should not represent who we are as a people,” he wrote.
“Thankfully, many others are now speaking up against such comments and representing the multicultural and open Singapore that many of us are working towards. We can do better and we should continuously strive to do better.”
Man in Photo is National Athlete; Responded to Xenophobic Comments
One of the men in the Indian family depicted on the banner took to social media to speak out against the xenophobic comments made against his family.
“That’s my family in a national day poster,” the man wrote.
He explained that the Tanjong Pagar Town Council put up 20 different posters showcasing families of different races and religions, and his family was invited to be one of them.
The man said that he and his family are all Singaporean citizens.
“My siblings and I were born and bred here, my parents moved here more than 30 years ago from Malaysia,” he wrote.
It turns out that the man is Thiruben Thana Rajan, a 20-year-old national athlete who’s been representing Singapore in athletics since he was 15.
“I don’t think I have to say much more than that,” Thiruben wrote.
Back in 2017, Thiruben broke a 32-year record at the 400m race at the Singapore Athletic Championships.
Two months earlier, he set a new national 400m record at the Under-18 World Championships in Kenya.
No Explanation Required
Now, of course, all this shouldn’t have to be said. It’s a freakin’ family in a poster. Why should someone get upset at that? Or worse, make discriminatory comments?
Sure, netizens in this situation were categorically proved wrong, as they thought the family was from India.
But even if they were, would they be deserving of such hateful comments?
Surely, there’s only one answer to that question.
Read Also:
- 10 Facts About the CECA Issue That Was Mentioned Extensively in Parliament
- URA Confirms That Officers Can Enter Homes Without Warrant to Check on COVID-19 Measures
Featured Image: Facebook (Tanjong Pagar Town Council)
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