TV3's pantun team has successfully defended its championship crown at the HAWANA-DBP 2026 Pantun Festival, cementing its dominance in a competition that brings together Malaysia's leading broadcast and news organisations. The four-member squad, featuring Mohammad Nor Affiq Norshamsudin, Mohd Safwan Sawi, Azrin Md Isa, and Mohamed Hirsham Azmi, saw off strong competition to claim the title for a second consecutive year, with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) settling for second place at the National Journalists' Day 2026 main event.

The tournament, held in conjunction with HAWANA 2026 celebrations themed 'Media Integrity Strengthens Credibility', underscores the enduring cultural significance of pantun in Malaysia's media landscape. The ancient poetic form, which demands quick wit and linguistic dexterity, has become a prestige competition among news and broadcasting organisations, showcasing the creative abilities of journalists beyond their regular reporting duties. By incorporating pantun into the National Journalists' Day festivities, organisers have elevated the traditional art form to a national platform, celebrating both linguistic heritage and media professionalism simultaneously.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim personally presented the awards at the PICCA Convention Centre @ Butterworth Arena in Penang, signalling the government's commitment to recognising journalistic excellence and cultural traditions. The presence of high-ranking officials, including Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, reinforced the prestige attached to the festival and highlighted the intersection between media practice and national cultural preservation.

TV3's championship victory came with RM3,000 in prize money, a trophy, and certificates of participation, while Bernama's runner-up finish netted RM2,000 in cash along with supporting accolades. Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) claimed third place, with Berita Harian finishing fourth among eight participating teams that competed in the festival. The competition drew 32 participants in total, representing a broad cross-section of Malaysia's media industry, from broadcast networks to news agencies and print publications.

Beyond the team championship, individual accolades recognised outstanding performances. Muhammad Syukri Khairulannuar from Bernama earned the Best Pantun Performer award, demonstrating excellence in improvisation and poetic articulation despite his team's runner-up finish. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) team won the Best Attire Award, adding another dimension to the competition by acknowledging visual presentation and cultural dress alongside verbal artistry. These supplementary awards broaden the festival's scope beyond pure competitive merit, celebrating various dimensions of cultural performance.

The pantun competition was initially staged on May 9 at Panggung Sari, Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur, serving as a curtain-raiser for the broader HAWANA 2026 celebrations. This strategic placement in the festival calendar allowed for extended promotion of the competition and gave media organisations adequate time to prepare their teams. The festival's evolution over consecutive years, with a clear trajectory of participation growth and increasing prominence, suggests institutional commitment to establishing the pantun championship as a signature event within Malaysia's media calendar.

Mohammad Nor Affiq, the TV3 team leader, attributed the squad's successful defence of the title to collective effort and mentorship support. He reflected on the initial pressure of leading the team to repeat their inaugural victory but credited encouragement from TV3 host Ahmad Fedtri Yahya as pivotal in overcoming those doubts. His acknowledgement of team collaboration, family support, and the broader network of backers reveals that competitive success in pantun extends beyond the performers themselves, involving coaching, preparation, and emotional sustenance from institutional and personal networks.

Nor Affiq's gratitude towards his teammates and supporters illustrates the collaborative nature of pantun competition within media organisations, where preparation and practice sessions likely span weeks or months. The investment in training reflects broader institutional recognition that pantun excellence serves organisational prestige and employee morale. His remarks, particularly thanking his mentor, underscore how traditional art forms can thrive within modern institutional settings when senior figures actively promote and mentor emerging talent.

Bernama's runner-up finish, while competitive in its own right, has galvanised the news agency's commitment to future participation. Team leader Muhammad Syukri explicitly framed the second-place result as motivation rather than defeat, committing to a comprehensive review of their performance and targeted improvements for the next competition cycle. This forward-looking perspective, emphasising systematic analysis and strategic enhancement, demonstrates how competitive sporting and cultural events drive institutional learning and continuous improvement within Malaysia's media sector.

Syukri's statement regarding preparations for the next edition reveals the competitive intensity and strategic depth now characterised pantun festival participation. Rather than dismissing weaknesses, he articulated a detailed approach involving identification of shortcomings and deliberate skill development. This professional approach to what might traditionally be viewed as folk entertainment indicates modernisation of pantun practice, where preparation mirrors sports training methodology, complete with performance analysis and targeted coaching interventions.

The HAWANA 2026 celebrations, orchestrated by the Ministry of Communications with Bernama as implementing agency, position National Journalists' Day as a comprehensive recognition of media professionalism and contribution to nation-building. The festival serves as Malaysia's largest gathering of media practitioners, providing a unified platform for celebrating journalistic standards, ethical practice, and cultural continuity. By embedding pantun competition within this broader framework, organisers reinforce the concept that media professionalism encompasses not merely news gathering and reporting accuracy, but also cultural stewardship and artistic expression rooted in Malaysian heritage.

For Malaysian media organisations and beyond, the HAWANA-DBP Pantun Festival demonstrates how national cultural forms can remain vibrant and socially relevant when institutionalised within professional spheres. Rather than relegating pantun to historical or ceremonial contexts, integration into media sector competitions ensures active participation from talented practitioners and maintains intergenerational transmission of skills. The festival's expansion and increasing prestige suggest that similar cultural preservation models might successfully apply to other traditional Malaysian art forms and practices, particularly within public institutions and professional bodies.