Penang: Intense competition between the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and TV3 at the final of the HAWANA-DBP 2026 Pantun Festival today saw both teams move within reach of the championship title. The winner will be announced during the highlight of the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2026 celebration in Penang on June 20. The champion will receive RM3,000 in cash, while the runner-up will take home RM2,000, with both teams also receiving trophies and certificates.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) pantun team secured third place, followed by Berita Harian (BH) in fourth. Bernama representative Muhammad Syukri Khairulannuar was named Best Pantun Performer, while the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) team won the Best Attire Award. Teams from Astro Audio News, Sinar Harian, Jakim, and Media Selangor each received consolation prizes.
The prizes were presented by Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, accompanied by Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Bernama deputy editor-in-chief (News Service), who is also HAWANA 2026 project director, Mohd Shukri Ishak.
Meanwhile, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) language planner and chief judge Azimin Daud said the overall standard of performances this year showed encouraging improvement compared with the previous edition. He noted that this year's competition introduced a fresh dimension, with several participants incorporating elements of oral pantun into their performances, adding new appeal to a contest that traditionally places greater emphasis on perfect rhyme.
According to him, most participants successfully highlighted themes related to journalism and technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), communication technology, aerospace, and modern agriculture. 'The use of modern terms in pantun is not wrong, but participants need to be more creative in selecting metaphors and rhymes to ensure the verses remain beautiful without compromising the originality of Malay pantun art. The humorous elements introduced by participants also enlivened the competition while delivering messages in a light-hearted manner, making the festival more engaging for the audience,' he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Syukri described the Best Pantun Performer award as especially meaningful, as this year marked his return to pantun competitions after last appearing on the national stage in 2019 while representing his secondary school. 'Alhamdulillah, I am grateful for the opportunity to represent Bernama. I never expected to receive this award, but I simply tried to give my best. We only had about a week to prepare, and it was indeed challenging because every pantun had to be carefully refined in terms of meaning, metaphors, and rhyme arrangement to ensure quality,' he said.