SMAN 1 Pontianak Principal Summoned by Education Department Over Viral MPR Quiz Controversy

The West Kalimantan Education and Culture Department (Disdikbud Kalbar) has responded to the viral provincial-level 4 Pillars of the MPR RI Smart Quiz competition. The controversy arose after judges gave differing assessments for the same answer. Participants from SMAN 1 Pontianak protested the decision, and a video clip of the interruption circulated on social media. Citing detikKalimantan, Acting Head of Disdikbud Kalbar, Syarif Faisal Indahmawan Alkadrie, stated that they have summoned the principal of SMAN 1 Pontianak along with the quiz support team to discuss the matter. “We have summoned the principal of SMAN 1 Pontianak and the support team regarding this issue,” Faisal said on Monday (11/5/2026). He reminded all parties to follow procedures. The school has also been advised to request a review. “As this is an event from the MPR RI, there are certainly mechanisms and provisions that must be followed,” he said. According to Faisal, the SMAN 1 Pontianak side has accepted the competition results. However, he believes evaluation is still important to prevent similar incidents in future competitions. “We resolve it according to the competition provisions, and all parties must show sportsmanlike conduct,” he emphasised. Viral Incident of Same Answer, Different Scores For context, the 4 Pillars of the MPR RI Smart Quiz is an annual event held to enhance students’ understanding of national values, namely Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. The competition is participated in by various high schools and equivalent institutions from different regions nationwide. The event that drew attention was also broadcast on the MPRGOID YouTube channel on 9 May 2026. The incident began when the host posed a question about the mechanism for selecting Financial Audit Agency (BPK) members. “BPK leaders are elected 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?” Team C, representing SMAN 1 Pontianak, buzzed in first and provided their answer. “Financial Audit Agency members are selected by the House of Representatives, taking into account considerations from the Regional Representative Council and inaugurated by the President,” said one representative from Team C. Dyastasita Widya Budi, Head of the Constitutional Assessment Bureau of the MPR RI Secretariat acting as judge, deemed the answer incorrect and awarded -5 points. Team B from SMAN 1 Sambas then gave the same answer as Team C. This time, the judge awarded 10 points, considering it correct. “Yes, the core of the answer is correct. 10 points,” said Dyastasita. Participants from SMAN 1 Pontianak then interrupted. They stated that the answer they gave was the same as Team B’s. Dyastasita stood firm in defending her decision, claiming that Team C missed an important element in their answer. “Earlier, Team C mentioned it, the consideration from the DPD wasn’t there. DPR was mentioned. So the judging panel thought the Regional Representative Council wasn’t included,” The situation heated up when another judge, Indri Wahyuni, Head of the Secretariat Section of the MPR Socialisation Agency, also defended the judge’s answer. She reminded participants to use good articulation when answering. “Like this, right, it was warned from the beginning, articulation is important. So get used to answering with clear articulation. If you think it’s already, but the judging panel assesses it’s not because they didn’t hear your articulation clearly, that means the judging panel has the right to give -5 points. So once again, we warn to pay attention to articulation,” emphasised Indri Wahyuni.