Television station TV3 has retained the championship trophy at the HAWANA-DBP 2026 Pantun Festival, cementing its status as the dominant force in competitive pantun performance among Malaysian media organisations. The winning team, comprising Mohammad Nor Affiq Norshamsudin, Mohd Safwan Sawi, Azrin Md Isa, and Mohamed Hirsham Azmi, successfully defended the title from last year's inaugural competition, collecting RM3,000 in prize money alongside the championship trophy. The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) claimed the runner-up position, earning RM2,000 in cash and maintaining its strong showing in this emerging media competition.

The festival unfolded as part of the broader HAWANA 2026 celebrations, which centres on the theme "Media Integrity Strengthens Credibility". The awards ceremony took place at the PICCA Convention Centre @ Butterworth Arena, where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim personally presented the prizes to victorious teams. The prominent attendance of political and media figures—including Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai—underscored the cultural and professional significance of the event within Malaysia's journalism fraternity.

Eight teams competed in the pantun competition, which had earlier been held as a curtain-raiser event on May 9 at Panggung Sari, Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur, with 32 participants in total taking to the stage. Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) finished in third place, whilst Berita Harian secured fourth position. Beyond team achievements, individual accolades highlighted standout performances, with Bernama's Muhammad Syukri Khairulannuar earning recognition as the Best Pantun Performer—a distinction that adds a layer of complexity to the competition's dynamics, as the best individual performer represented the runner-up team. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) distinguished itself by winning the Best Attire Award, demonstrating that the festival valued not only poetic excellence but also cultural presentation and respect for traditional dress.

The pantun festival represents a modern evolution in how Malaysia's media organisations celebrate classical Malay literary traditions. Pantun, with its intricate rhyme schemes and culturally resonant imagery, has long occupied a central place in Malaysian culture, yet formalised competitive platforms remain relatively rare in the professional sphere. By institutionalising pantun competition through the HAWANA framework, the organisers—the Ministry of Communications and Bernama—have created an avenue for journalists to demonstrate competence beyond news gathering and reporting, tapping into deeper cultural literacy that enriches their professional identity.

TV3's team leader Mohammad Nor Affiq attributed the victory to collective effort and mentorship. He revealed initial hesitation about accepting the leadership role but found encouragement through Ahmad Fedtri Yahya, a host at TV3, whose guidance bolstered his confidence. In reflecting on the achievement, Affiq emphasised gratitude toward his teammates, family members, and supporters whose sustained encouragement enabled the team to successfully defend its crown. This narrative of mentorship and collaborative support offers insight into how Malaysian media organisations cultivate talent and institutional excellence beyond formal hierarchies.

For Bernama, the runner-up finish carries strategic implications. Muhammad Syukri, the news agency's team leader, framed the second-place result not as defeat but as motivation for future campaigns. His comments reveal a professional mindset oriented toward continuous improvement—he committed to systematic review of performance weaknesses and strengthened preparation for the next edition. This measured approach, combined with individual recognition through the Best Pantun Performer award, suggests that Bernama views this competition as a meaningful platform for organisational development and employee achievement.

The HAWANA framework itself deserves examination as a barometer of Malaysia's media culture. HAWANA, the National Journalists' Day celebration, convenes the country's largest gathering of media practitioners annually, serving as a space where professional contributions to nation-building are formally recognised. By embedding the pantun festival within this broader celebration, organisers have signalled that cultural expression and literary artistry form integral components of journalistic excellence, not peripheral entertainment.

For Malaysian readers and media watchers, the significance of this competition extends beyond trophy presentations. It demonstrates institutional commitment to preserving classical art forms within contemporary professional settings, a particularly meaningful gesture given global trends toward homogenisation of media culture. Television, news agencies, and state broadcasters competing through pantun reinforces the idea that professional competence and cultural stewardship are complementary rather than competing values.

The competitive dynamics visible here—with multiple strong contenders including RTM, Berita Harian, and JAKIM—indicate broader institutional capacity for cultural participation across Malaysia's media landscape. The diversity of participating organisations, from commercial broadcasters to government agencies to religious institutions, reflects how deeply pantun tradition runs through Malaysian professional life.

Looking forward, the enthusiasm expressed by both winning and runner-up teams suggests the HAWANA-DBP Pantun Festival may establish itself as an annual fixture that media practitioners anticipate with genuine interest. The presence of high-level political endorsement, combined with meaningful prize structures and individual recognition categories, provides credibility and motivation that could sustain long-term participation. For organisations like TV3 and Bernama, competition in this arena offers opportunities for team bonding, institutional pride, and demonstration of cultural competence that conventional professional metrics might not capture.

The festival also carries implications for how Malaysia's media organisations project their identity to the public. Success in competitive pantun performance signals sophistication, cultural rootedness, and commitment to preserving national heritage—qualities that resonate powerfully in Malaysia's multicultural context. As media organisations worldwide grapple with credibility challenges, this integration of cultural competence into professional recognition offers a distinctive Malaysian approach to institutional legitimacy.