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Ipoh was once called the City of Millionaires. Ipoh – The City of Millionaires is a project founded by Harry Seggu. It celebrates the people who built this city, and encourages the next generation to build their futures here, too.
Harry is also the founder of Rochford's Education Group, EdQuest International School and Poket School AI, and the author of The You Economy. Through talks, stories and awards, the project brings together people who have made a difference in Ipoh, and the young people who might be next.
The Talks
On Saturday, 10 May 2025, a private talk was held at ZUS Coffee in Taman Jubilee, Ipoh, from 6pm to 8pm. This talk, part of Ipoh – The City of Millionaires (a project founded by Harry Seggu), was co-organised and co-hosted by Harry Seggu and Andrew Chen, admin of the Facebook group We Love Ipoh – City of Good Food. It was announced as part of a private meeting and talk series. More talks in the series are coming soon.
The goal was simple: to inspire young people to stay, build and grow in Ipoh. The speakers and their topics were:
- Harry Seggu, founder of Ipoh – The City of Millionaires: "The You Economy: How to Take Ownership and Build a Business Around Your Life"
- Sundralingam, founder of Ipoh Heritage Walk: "Walking Through Time: Preserving Ipoh's Soul, One Story at a Time"
- Anna Aziz, entrepreneur and digital coach at AnnaAziz.com: "From Zero to Six Figures: Building a Digital Empire from Ipoh"
- KT Pillai, master trainer and public speaking coach: "Speak to Inspire: How to Build Confidence and Influence Through Communication"
- Andrew Chen, co-organiser of this talk and admin of We Love Ipoh – City of Good Food: "Fueling the Future: Encouraging Young Entrepreneurs to Rise in Ipoh"
According to a local news report, more than 20 people attended. Andrew Chen said many young people leave Ipoh for Kuala Lumpur, Penang or even Singapore, often on their parents' advice or in search of better opportunities. He hoped the talk could help change that mindset.
"We hope to encourage the young people in Ipoh to stay here."
Andrew Chen, as quoted in a local news report
Harry spoke about building an impactful business in Ipoh, with an emphasis on innovation, community engagement and long-term sustainability. Sundralingam spoke about how heritage tourism can create jobs. Anna Aziz shared strategies for authentic content and building a personal brand online. KT Pillai spoke about confidence in public speaking: posture, tone, preparation and storytelling. Andrew Chen closed with the challenges young people in Ipoh face, among them salaries, the limited number of jobs, and a lack of mentorship.
VIP guests included Puan Sri Dato' Sandra Lee, Dato' Gan Tack Kong, Executive Chairman of Ngan Yin Food Industries Sdn Bhd, veteran journalist SeeFoon Chan Koppen, and pageant organiser Anita Phang.
The message of the evening: Ipoh is not a city to leave, but a city to lead from.
Photos from the Talk
What our VIP guests said
At the talk, Harry Seggu asked some of our VIP guests how they felt about the evening, and what they would like to see in Ipoh. Here is what they said.
Puan Sri Dato' Sandra Lee
Executive Chairman of Persatuan Daybreak, Malaysia
"I feel very encouraged that there are so many passionate people who want to bring back tourism, who want to bring back business … This is a very good start."
- She felt very encouraged to see so many passionate people who want to bring back tourism and business, and to make Ipoh a much more dynamic place, as it once was.
- She hopes to see more like-minded people gathering in future, and called the evening a very good start.
- She congratulated the organisers and hopes more people will come forward to join the effort.
Dato' Gan Tack Kong
Executive Chairman of Ngan Yin Food Industries Sdn Bhd
"It would be really good to have a guide who will actually bring the tourists around in Ipoh town."
- He called it a wonderful event, and said he is especially interested in a heritage trail: naming the shops along it, with a guide to bring tourists around Ipoh town.
- He remembered being in Singapore on the inaugural flight from Ipoh to Singapore, when he asked the Singapore authorities how they developed their shop lots, and how the idea could be brought to Ipoh.
- Shop lots in Singapore were very expensive, he said, while Ipoh's shops were still under rental control at the time, so nothing could be done with them. He would love to know more about Ipoh's history.
SeeFoon Chan Koppen
Writer and community voice, Ipoh
"I can see there's a lot of startups happening in Ipoh, but some of them can't survive and they pack up very quickly."
- She found the evening very enjoyable, and all the speakers very passionate about their areas of interest.
- She would like more people to get together, especially with the authorities on board. Many startups in Ipoh pack up quickly, she said, for lack of staff or lack of help.
- Ipoh used to have a hotel school, she noted, and there no longer seems to be one. She suggested service training for people in the service industry, so that those who come to Ipoh to open restaurants and other places that attract tourists get the help they need.
Dr. Goh
Works in robotics and drones
"We need more than just social media. We also need to bring back manufacturing."
- He called the evening a good initiative, and said Ipoh needs to bring in more ideas.
- Ipoh needs more than just social media, he said: it also needs to bring back manufacturing and more development in other fields, where there is a lot of potential.
- Young people like to work together, he said, and can go beyond white-collar jobs into higher technology such as high-end robotics and drones. He wants to encourage this kind of industry to come to Ipoh, so that it is not a sleepy town.
Watch the guests' full comments on YouTube
Speakers, VIP guests and attendees at the talk, ZUS Coffee, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh
The Leadership Award
Ipoh – The City of Millionaires also recognises people who lead in our community. The Leadership Award recognises leaders in Ipoh and Malaysia. The certificate, signed by Harry Seggu as founder and creator of Ipoh – The City of Millionaires, presents the award "for their exceptional leadership and contributions to our community."
Recipients include:
- Ceylyn Tay Wei Lung, co-founder of Canning Dim Sum, Ipoh
- Louis Rozario Doss, former principal of St Michael's Institution, Ipoh
- Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok JP, founder of Nelson's sweet corn snack brand
- Datuk Lim Si Boon, head of Bonanza Venture Holdings, Ipoh
- Datuk Haji Mohd Odzman bin Abd Kadir, head of the Perak Tourism Association
See every Leadership Award recipient, and read more about our founder, on Meet the Founder.
Read more about the people who shaped our city in Ipoh Stories.