ST Lee Disinguished Lectures: Public Policy in Mega City- Lessons Learnt from Jakarta

Implementing public policies in the capital city of the world’s 4th most populous country, with all its dynamics and diversity, requires strong leadership. During Governor Anies Baswedan’s term in office, Jakarta has won more than 50 awards for innovations, breakthroughs, and effectiveness of government on all issues, ranging from public health, inclusivity, smart city system, to urban planning initiatives. Jakarta was the first city in Southeast Asia to receive the globally acclaimed Sustainable Transport Award in 2021, after finishing as the previous year’s runner-up. Governor Anies Baswedan was also widely praised for the transparent, science-based, and data-driven leadership during the pandemic, especially in the early days when many policymakers were not aware of the magnitude of the crisis. He believes that those principles (transparency and science/data-driven leadership), combined with upholding institutionalization and collaboration in implementing policies, are critical to make sure that all