X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Local Publisher Recalls Primary 2 Chinese Textbooks After Bloody Pentagram Symbol Found on Pages

2 min read
Local Publisher Recalls Primary 2 Chinese Textbooks After Bloody Pentagram Symbol Found on Pages

Publisher Marlinsons recalled this Primary 2 Mandarin textbook after a symbol of a bloody pentagram was found inside.

A Singaporean textbook publisher had to recall their Primary 2 Chinese textbooks after receiving feedback about a bloody pentagram symbol found inside the book. 

Perceived to be associated with Satanism and occultism, the inverted pentagram regularly appears in pop culture as a symbol for the devil.

On Thursday (April 28), a Reddit user who found a bloody pentagram symbol in a textbook for teaching children shapes in Mandarin posted on the platform.

Publisher Marlinsons told AsiaOne on Friday that they were not aware that the symbol was satanic.

"We decided to recall our existing stock as we agree that it is highly inappropriate," the spokesperson said.

The publisher also said that they were "appalled by this grave mistake", reported website Coconuts Singapore. 

In the book, which says "based on MOE syllabus" on the cover, the bloody pentagram symbol was used as an example of a shape.

"Two sisters in a kitchen bake cookies of all kinds of shapes," the textbook reads in Mandarin.

"Didn't know satanist symbols were part of learning Chinese [sic] for primary school students," read the title of a Reddit post which garnered over 500 upvotes. 

"What, you think all those A's come naturally?" One user jokingly said.

Another user jested, "You wanted shapes? This gave you four in one. Star, circle, triangle, pentagon. Why are you complaining?"

Other Redditors made references to the drama that occurred when Joanna Theng compared the LGBTQ+ pride movement to anti-Christianity, comparing Marlinsons with Theng.

The publisher did not respond to AsiaOne's question about the number of copies printed. They only said that the existing stock of textbooks has been disposed, reported Coconuts Singapore. 

"We pledge to exercise greater care and improve our quality inspection system to prevent such mistakes from being made in the future," Marlinsons told Coconuts Singapore. 

From time to time, publishers do get into trouble when they publish books that send the wrong message.

In Malaysia, a Form 2 Moral education textbook appeared to imply that skaters were immoral, earning criticism from the Malaysian skateboarding community earlier this week.

In 2017, an Indian textbook publisher came under fire after the contents of their book included an experiment that required the suffocation of two small kittens.

This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.

ALSO READ:

Singaporean Flies in Former Filipino Maid of 27 Years for Sister’s Wedding, Sending Both Women to Tears

Vaccination: Bringing Brighter Futures to Individuals And Beyond

After Fighting With Mentally Challenged Sons, Mother Meets Tragic End

Partner Stories
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTU Singapore and Marshall Cavendish Education Collaborate to Develop Online Courses for K12 Educators
NTU Singapore and Marshall Cavendish Education Collaborate to Develop Online Courses for K12 Educators
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers With 3M Girls Can Tinker Program
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers With 3M Girls Can Tinker Program

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

asiaone

  • Home
  • /
  • Education
  • /
  • Local Publisher Recalls Primary 2 Chinese Textbooks After Bloody Pentagram Symbol Found on Pages
Share:
  • How To Teach Kids Math: Singapore Math and Other Fun Ideas

    How To Teach Kids Math: Singapore Math and Other Fun Ideas

  • Singapore Female Student Rates European Countries Based on How Safe She Felt There

    Singapore Female Student Rates European Countries Based on How Safe She Felt There

  • Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

    Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

  • How To Teach Kids Math: Singapore Math and Other Fun Ideas

    How To Teach Kids Math: Singapore Math and Other Fun Ideas

  • Singapore Female Student Rates European Countries Based on How Safe She Felt There

    Singapore Female Student Rates European Countries Based on How Safe She Felt There

  • Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

    Man and Daughter Fall Through Bridge at Sungei Buloh: SCDF ‘Expresses Regret’ Over How Call Was Handled

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.