JAKARTA, Thekabarnews.com—The 2026 Final Round of the Four Pillars Quiz Competition, organized by the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI), has attracted a lot of public attention. The incident happened after a viral video triggered criticism over the alleged inconsistencies in the judging process.

The organizers intended the competition to serve as an educational platform that strengthens national values and constitutional understanding. Instead, it became the center of controversy when netizens questioned the fairness of the judges’ scoring.

The criticism started after a video clip of a heated exchange between participants and judges in the final round became viral on social media.

The question was concerning the selection mechanism of the members of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Team C responded that the House of Representatives (DPR) chooses BPK members with input from the Regional Representative Council (DPD). They are then officially appointed by the president.

The answer was wrong; Judge Dyastasita WB, head of the Bureau of Constitutional Studies, immediately deducted five points from the team.

But then the question was asked of Team B, and the response caused some controversy.

Team B then gave what the viewers saw as an identical answer. This time the judges said it was correct and awarded 10 points.

The same answer gave inconsistent results, leading to direct complaints from Team C. They argued that the scoring was not fair or consistent.

The judging panel stuck to its original decision despite the objection.

“The final decision is up to the judging panel,” Dyastasita said in the viral video.

The issue got more attention when another judge, Indri Wahyuni, stated that articulation and clarity of speech also played an important role in the scoring.

She said if judges could not clearly hear a participant’s answer, points could be deducted for that.

“We issued that warning from the beginning. It is important to articulate. They must be able to articulate clearly,” Indri said.

Her statement provoked an even greater public outcry.

Many netizens said an academic quiz competition should be based on the correctness of answers rather than on subjective elements like speaking style. This is especially important when the answer is correct in substance.

Critics viewed the explanation as problematic for transparency and professionalism in the judging process. Social media comments quickly turned nasty.

“Terrible, a quiz competition where the judges themselves are not careful,” one X user wrote.

Another user criticized the panel, saying that the judges should have just admitted the mistake instead of defending an inconsistent decision.

Others said the judges were blaming the participants for poor diction. However, the problem was really with the panel’s inability to listen to the speech carefully.

The incident has triggered a wider discussion on fairness, accountability, and professionalism in national academic competitions, particularly those held under major state institutions.

The video continues to circulate as many are demanding clearer standards of judging and greater transparency. The public raised these demands to ensure trust remains strong in educational competitions meant to promote national values.

Stay connected via Google News