MPR to Offer SMAN 1 Pontianak Student Role as Quiz Ambassador
The People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) intends to offer Josepha Alexandra, a student from SMA Negeri 1 Pontianak, the position of ambassador for the MPR Four Pillars Quiz (LCC). The Vice Chairman of the MPR, Abcandra Muhammad Akbar Supratman, stated that this proposal is a follow-up to aspirations expressed by various parties. “This is one of the aspirations from colleagues who wish for Josepha to become the LCC Ambassador. Therefore, the Secretariat will convey this proposal tomorrow; hopefully, it will be accepted,” Abcandra said at the MPR/DPR Complex, Jakarta, on Monday, 18 May 2026.
Abcandra clarified that the MPR is not officially crowning her yet, but rather presenting the offer to see if she is willing to accept the role. Meanwhile, the MPR has decided not to organise a rematch for the Four Pillars Quiz final in West Kalimantan. The Chairman of the MPR Socialisation Body, Abraham Liyanto, noted that this decision was reached during a leadership meeting on Monday. He stated that the MPR is respecting the stance taken by the participating schools.
Both SMA Negeri 1 Sambas and SMA Negeri 1 Pontianak, which were finalists alongside SMA Negeri 1 Sanggau, declined a rematch. SMA Negeri 1 Sambas requested that the organisers focus on restoring the school’s reputation, while SMA Negeri 1 Pontianak stated they would not participate in a replay, seeking only clarity regarding the ongoing controversy. Abraham remarked that the schools’ attitudes reflect the values of the Four Pillars, including tolerance, unity, justice, and democracy.
The MPR leadership meeting also addressed an evaluation of the judging panel. Abraham suggested that judges should ideally consist of constitutional law experts or academics. The MPR delegation will travel to West Kalimantan to communicate the meeting’s decision.
The controversy surrounding the West Kalimantan competition began during the final match on 9 May, when participants alleged unfair scoring. The dispute arose when teams from SMAN 1 Pontianak, SMAN 1 Sambas, and SMAN 1 Sanggau competed to answer a question regarding the DPR’s process for selecting BPK members. The SMAN 1 Pontianak team provided an answer that the judges deemed inaccurate, resulting in a 5-point deduction. When the SMAN 1 Sambas team provided a nearly identical answer, the judges awarded them 10 points. The SMAN 1 Pontianak team protested, arguing their answer was essentially the same, but the judges maintained that the Pontianak team failed to explicitly mention the ‘consideration of the DPD’. Indri Wahyuni, Head of the MPR Socialisation Body Secretariat, emphasised the importance of articulative accuracy during the competition.