Sub-district Heads and Judges Reflect After Benyamin S Award Final

Several sub-district heads and judges in the 2026 Benyamin S Award (BSA) shared their impressions after taking part in the final round at the Ascott Menteng Hotel in Central Jakarta on Thursday (15 October).

Ali Syahidin, head of Sukabumi Utara Urban Village in West Jakarta, said that despite feeling nervous, he remained enthusiastic and optimistic.

“I am quite optimistic, because I am not representing the urban village alone, but 47,000 residents of Sukabumi Utara,” Ali said after leaving the judging room.

Ali said residents had entrusted him with a message: Sukabumi Utara is currently transforming into the Sukabumi Utara Global Cultural Tourism Village. For him, the BSA was not an end in itself, but a stimulus or catalyst.

“The BSA is just a stimulus to encourage residents to work harder and with greater enthusiasm to create a clean environment, a comfortable and beautiful atmosphere, beautiful scenery, and prosperity for the community,” Ali said.

Henny Mahrojah, head of Kebon Sirih Urban Village in Central Jakarta, also spoke of her optimism and nerves. She said she had felt somewhat nervous before presenting to the judges.

“Before the presentation, I was a little nervous – that’s only human. But when I took my first step and offered my greeting, the atmosphere changed, and my enthusiasm immediately surged,” Henny said.

After her presentation, Henny said she felt relieved. She added that the judges had given her several points to consider regarding future improvements to the neighbourhood.

“The important feedback was that we were challenged to find ways to make our area healthy and beautiful,” she said.

Meanwhile, the judges shared their impressions after assessing presentations by the ten BSA finalists. Wicaksono Sarosa, director and chief knowledge officer at Ruang Waktu, said the finalist sub-district heads had prepared their presentations well.

“Some were very good and impressive, while others were still reading from their notes. But overall, they were well prepared and followed the guidance,” Wicaksono said.

He also pointed to a particular challenge for the judges: finding potential or problems that had not been covered in the sub-district heads’ presentations.

“We have to find out what particular issues or potential opportunities have not yet been revealed,” he said.

Urban planning analyst Yayat Supriyatna focused on the sub-district heads’ willingness to take risks and innovate.

“Whether an area progresses or falls behind depends on leadership. Today, we are looking at whether they truly have the courage to innovate or simply follow the rules,” Yayat said.

In the final round of the 2026 Benyamin S Award, Yayat sought to assess how willing the sub-district heads were to mobilise residents. The hope, he said, was that change would be driven not by the power of officials, but by the community itself.

After the initial selection rounds, festival and final presentations, the Benyamin S Award will hold its grand finale on 30 October.