Vice President Gibran Shares Public Speaking and Debate Tips with Students from SMAN 1 Pontianak, Participants in MPR's LCC

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka motivated 10 students from SMAN 1 Pontianak, participants in the 2026 MPR Four Pillars Quiz Competition (LCC Empat Pilar MPR RI) at the West Kalimantan provincial level, when he received them at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.

In that meeting, the students from SMAN 1 Pontianak were directly invited by the Vice President to Jakarta for a dialogue, especially after the controversy in the final round of the MPR Four Pillars Quiz Competition regarding the judges’ decision on a participant’s answer. The students were accompanied by three teachers from SMAN 1 Pontianak.

“During the meeting, we were given motivation by Pak Wapres to keep studying,” said Josepha Alexandra Roxa Potifera, familiarly known as Ocha, when met after the meeting with Vice President Gibran at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.

As recounted by Ocha, Vice President Gibran also encouraged the students to hone their public speaking skills and improve their debating abilities and argument defence.

“We were given motivation and tips and tricks on how to do public speaking or debate in public,” said Ocha.

On that occasion, Josepha admitted she was delighted to be directly invited to meet the Vice President. She said she never imagined meeting him face-to-face at the Vice Presidential Palace.

“We and the team were very surprised because the information came suddenly,” said Josepha.

After meeting Vice President Gibran, she stated that the incident during the final round of the MPR Four Pillars Quiz Competition would serve as a lesson for her and her friends to develop further.

“This becomes a hope and encouragement for us to keep moving forward and developing,” said Ocha.

Josepha or Ocha is a student from SMAN 1 Pontianak who received a minus 5 point penalty from the judging panel in the final round of the MPR Four Pillars Quiz Competition at the West Kalimantan provincial level, even though the answer she provided was correct.

Ocha immediately lodged a protest with the judges during the event, but her protest was not accepted, and the judges chose to award points to another team, which ultimately emerged as the winner.