MC of MPR Quiz Competition Apologises

Master of Ceremonies (MC) Shindy Lutfiana for the quiz competition on the socialisation of the MPR’s four pillars among high schools in West Kalimantan has apologised following the controversy over the judging of the event on 9 May. “I, Shindy Lutfiana, as the MC, convey my apologies regarding the mistake in my statements during the Final Round of the MPR RI 2026 Four Pillars Quiz Competition in West Kalimantan Province,” Shindy wrote on her personal Instagram account on Tuesday (12/5). Shindy apologised for her statement in the event that said: “Perhaps that is just the feeling of the younger siblings.” Shindy stated that the remark was inappropriate for her as the host. She realised that the statement had caused disappointment and hurt the quiz participants, including teachers and escorts from SMAN 1 Pontianak, the affected party. “I fully realise that the statement has caused disappointment, discomfort, and even hurt the feelings of various parties, especially the young participants, accompanying teachers/mentors from SMA Negeri 1 Pontianak, and the entire community, particularly the people of West Kalimantan Province who followed and paid attention to this activity,” Shindy wrote. The viral incident in the finals of the MPR RI Four Pillars Quiz Competition in West Kalimantan Province began when the judging panel gave different scores for the same answer by teams B and C in a buzzer question. “The BPK leadership is chosen from and by members. However, to become a BPK member, ties to regional representation are still maintained. In selecting BPK members, the DPR is required to consider input from which institution?” the host asked, quoted from the MPR YouTube on Monday (11/5). Team C from SMAN 1 Pontianak, which pressed the buzzer first, answered that BPK members are selected by the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) considering input from the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD) and officialised by the President. However, Dyastasita, Head of the Evaluation Bureau of the MPR RI Secretariat General as a judge, gave a -5 score or deemed Team C’s answer wrong. The question was then thrown to and answered by Team B with the same answer. However, the judge gave 10 points or validated their answer. One participant from Team C immediately protested. They showed confused expressions because their answer was marked wrong despite being the same. Dyastasita insisted and reasoned that Team C’s answer did not include the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD). Team C protested again, saying the initial answer had included the DPD. However, Dyastasita did not change her decision. Meanwhile, another judge, Indri Wahyuni, Head of the Secretariat Section of the MPR Socialisation Board, asked participants to clarify their articulation when answering questions. The MPR recently issued an apology regarding the viral judging decision. Deputy Chair of the MPR, Abcandra Muhammad Akbar Supratman, assured that they would evaluate the judges’ performance and the competition system. “We apologise for the judges’ negligence. We will follow up on this incident,” Abcandra said in his statement on Tuesday (12/5).