SMAN 8 Ternate Wins North Maluku MPR Four Pillars Quiz, Advances to National Final

The MPR RI Four Pillars Quiz Competition at the North Maluku provincial level concluded successfully at the Gamalama Ballroom, Hotel Bella, Ternate City, on Friday (24/7). SMA Negeri 8 Kota Ternate was confirmed as the provincial champion after a fair and intense contest. The victory ensures the school will represent North Maluku at the National Final of the MPR RI Four Pillars Quiz in Jakarta in August 2026. Gunardi Ode Samura, a member of the winning team, admitted the title was hard-fought, noting that their two opponents in the final, SMAN 2 East Halmahera and SMKN 1 Ternate City, were very difficult to beat. ‘My friends and I thought there was no hope because our opponents were all very clever. However, we were determined to fight as hard as possible to finish the competition, whatever the result,’ said Gunardi. The supervising teacher, Faudjiah Fatmona, stated that the students’ success was the result of a disciplined learning process, with the team preparing intensively by studying the MPR RI Four Pillars materials and MPR Decrees. The competition also received attention from the North Maluku Provincial Government. Vice Governor Sarbin Sehe attended to watch the proceedings and even read out one of the questions during the Insight into the Four Pillars session. A moment of tension arose when a participant protested a jury decision during the buzzer round. The committee and jury accommodated the request by replaying the recording, witnessed by participant representatives and the Provincial Education Office, before making a final decision, demonstrating a commitment to fairness and transparency. Plt Secretary General of the MPR RI, Siti Fauziah, congratulated SMAN 8 Ternate on their victory. She emphasised that a key to success in the competition is carefulness, advising participants to listen to questions completely before answering to avoid misunderstanding. Awards for Best Yell were also presented to SMAN 1 Tidore Kepulauan, SMAN 1 Pulau Taliabu, and SMKN 1 Ternate City.