PAN Chairman Zulhas Opens 'PANDai' Islamic Knowledge Competition for Students
Zulkifli Hasan, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), opened the national ‘PANDai 2026’ Islamic knowledge competition. The event was held to build character and ethics in young people amid technological development challenges.
The opening ceremony took place at PAN headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March 2026. Zulhas, accompanied by PAN Secretary General Eko Patrio, welcomed 32 student teams representing various provinces that had advanced to the semi-final round.
“PANDai’s aim is to provide education so that we continue building good character and noble ethics amidst technological development. Nowadays there is misinformation, slander, and moral permissiveness. We are engaging young people in character and Islamic ethics education,” said Zulhas.
“We build their character. Character involves religious education, national awareness, and other elements starting from an early age. This is what PAN does through PANDai,” he added.
During the opening ceremony, Zulhas expressed appreciation for the competition participants and decided to increase cash prize amounts for all winning categories, from first place through consolation prizes.
“I heard the first prize was 30 million rupiah? Let’s increase the first prize to 40 million rupiah. Second prize becomes 30 million rupiah. Third prize becomes 25 million rupiah. Consolation prizes one, two, and three each become 10 million rupiah instead of 5 million,” he said.
Beyond additional cash prizes, Zulhas also promised tablets for winners to support their education. He emphasised the party’s full support for such educational activities.
Zulhas stressed that PAN wanted to demonstrate that political parties do not merely focus on votes or electoral matters. He stated that parties also have social responsibility in building national character.
He further plans to have the competition broadcast on national television in the future.
“If necessary, we will rent one hour of live television coverage. Live broadcast! So students can be seen by their communities and regions. If they want to appear on television, I will support the budget,” he said.
Edison Sitorus, the PANDai 2026 committee chairman, explained that the competition received high enthusiasm from various regions. A total of 300 teams registered through PAN regional boards across Indonesia.
“All teams carried out preliminary rounds in their respective regions. As a result, 32 teams were selected to attend PAN headquarters for the semi-final and final rounds,” Edison explained.
Edison stated that the competition simultaneously reaffirmed PAN’s commitment and social responsibility in developing superior human resources. “We believe the future of this nation rests in the hands of young people who are religious and broadly knowledgeable,” he added.