End of the MPR Cerdas Cermat Controversy: Final Not Reheld, Jurors Placed on a Blacklist

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The turmoil arising from the implementation of the Lomba Cerdas Cermat (LCC) 4 Pillars MPR at the Kalimantan Barat (Kalbar) province 2026 has ended. The MPR decided that there would be no replay final after the solution they prepared was rejected by two participants, namely SMAN 1 Pontianak and SMAN 1 Sambas. ‘They both supported that there was no need for a re-run. And today we met, with the leadership of the MPR present, and decided that we would follow what the two schools said,’ said Abraham Liyanto, head of the MPR Socialisation Body, at a press conference in the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday 18 May 2026. Furthermore, the jurors who carried out the controversial actions in the LCC 4 Pillars yesterday will not be involved again in the future. ‘Including evaluating the jury, they will not be involved again. Therefore perhaps this could be the answer to the LCC activities that previously caused public uproar,’ said Abcandra Muhammad Akbar Supratman, the MPR deputy speaker. Akbar said the MPR had read all public aspirations regarding the uproar caused by the controversy in the Kalbar final LCC 4 Pillars. The jurors’ action in blaming SMAN 1 Pontianak’s answer, but vindicating SMAN 1 Sambas, was judged to have deeply hurt public sentiment. According to Abraham Liyanto, the judging panel for the LCC 4 Pillars will not involve internal MPR elements again in the future. ‘Because, as Abraham said, the jury panel for the next LCC 4 Pillars will come from constitutional law experts in each province,’ he said. ‘Our jury panel will involve constitutional law experts in each province,’ said Abraham. Going forward, the MPR also asks MPR members from each electoral district to attend if a LCC 4 Pillars is organised in a province. Abraham stated that the presence of MPR members is needed to provide encouragement to the schoolchildren taking part. ‘So, 732 members, if there is a provincial-level Cerdas Cermat event, then all members representing that dapil should, if possible, attend to give support, but they may not act as jurors,’ he said.