The Power of …… @ Incitement Ipoh
Coming together to establish Incitement Ipoh are Ho Tsuey Xin and Mike Chu. With the objective to inspire and motivate (hence, incite) youths in Ipoh, after sitting in their second session, I believe that anyone from any age group could benefit.
Knowledge is very empowering, according to Tsuey, but Incitement Ipoh’s monthly get-togethers don’t necessarily impart direct knowledge or information. However, by bringing together speakers to share their experiences, they provoke us to think out of the box, and maybe push us to pursue the things that might have been lying dormant in our minds.
In the second edition of Incitement Ipoh, three speakers took to the stage to talk about “Power”. They were international author Jasemin Sibo, entrepreneur Fenix Chong and film director Quek Shio Chuan.
First to take on the microphone was Jasemin Sibo on the power of words. She shared her journey from being a school girl in Ipoh to become an international author with two books under her belt. Her inspiring story was certainly food for thought for all of us stuck in what we call “life”.
By the end of her segment, to assist those who want to pursue start-up companies or other ideas, she offered to help with business proposals, working papers and also connect them to the right people via her own network.
Next was entrepreneur Fenix Chong. Born and raised in Menglembu, Ipoh, from a middle class family, Fenix was no different from many of us, without any clear direction on what to do after completing Form Five and failed to pursue a tertiary education due to financial constraints. He was even unable to converse in English. Ten years down the road, he now runs his own niche business that deals in porcelain and has a modest manufacturing plant in China.
Fenix, like Jasemin, aspires to give back to society. For him, it’s by way of employing those with disability, to empower them with financial freedom. Fenix dreams of building a university for ceramic art, which in turn would create a more solid platform for local ceramic artists to showcase and promote their creations to a larger audience.
Last but not least was Quek Shio Chuan. This 29-year-old Batu Pahat-born film director is the first Asian filmmaker to be honoured with Best Film Award at the Alto Vicentino Film Festival in Santorso, Italy.
Sharing his struggles in his journey of being “normal” in a family of geniuses, and the challenges faced as a graduate in broadcasting to become a film director, the message Quek conveyed was that sometimes, it is necessary to take the path less travelled if one wants to pursue his dreams. Yes, the road could be long and winding, it could be rocky, but nobody said that pursuing passion was easy.
And so, it is hoped that the forty-odd attendees at Incitement Ipoh’s second sharing session themed “Power” took home something with them that night!
The next installment of Incitement Ipoh is on June 12, 2015, 8pm, at Sepaloh Art Centre. The topic is “Limitless”.
Event: The Power of …… @ Incitement Ipoh
Venue: Sepaloh Art Centre, Ipoh
Date: 22nd May, 2015
Time: 8pm
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