By DAVID KOH AND JOE CHOO
Properties from a Feng Shui Perspective, Part 105
Feng shui: Energy pools around Jalan Bangsar
Jalan Bangsar is a main road that connects Kuala Lumpur to Petaling Jaya. In the old days, the route covers the Pantai area and Jalan Gasing. The latter in turn leads to both the “Old” and “New” towns of Petaling Jaya. Today, the New Pantai Expressway offers an alternative route, along part of Old Klang Road and on to Subang Jaya.
Jalan Bangsar follows the southern boundary of the Bangsar area, separating Bangsar from Brickfields. Bangsar’s terrain is undulating, with small hills dotting the landscape, giving it a hilly appearance. Generally, the land slopes downhill from the north to the south until it reaches the Klang River located beyond Brickfields.
In fact, the southern part of Bangsar, where Jalan Bangsar is located, used to be prone to floods after heavy downpours. The land gradually rises until it reaches what is now Bukit Bandaraya, after which it drops steeply to Jalan Damansara.
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| Bangsar's terrain is undulating, with small hills dotting the landscape, giving it a hilly appearance. |
Earth energy flows from high land to low. While it is moving rapidly, the energy is too strong to be conducive for success and harmony. Thus, properties should not be built in places such as steep hill slopes. Energy slows down when it reaches a barrier in the form of water bodies, like rivers and oceans.
Water bodies have a different rigidity than solid ground, and this dampens the transfer of energy across masses. Ancient Environology (Feng Shui) practitioners understood this principle. They noted that earth energy is blocked by rivers. Now, the energy is not absorbed by the water. It is simply blocked and therefore. The energy is deflected.
Parabolic concentration
It can rebound in the direction it comes from or run along the banks. It the river is shallow, some of it can go beneath the river to the other side, albeit in a weaker and diminished state. When the energy is rebounded, it slows down. If the land is embraced by the curve of the river, then the gentle rebounded energy will collect in the focal point of the curve, like how a parabolic dish concentrates a signal wave.
The pool of gentle, homogenous energy is the most ideal and conducive place, observed ancient environologists. Life seems to thrive here, with lush flora and a variety and abundance of fauna. Even humans seem attracted to it. Interestingly, on the other side of the river bend where the outer “elbow” sits, life is not as conducive.
Geologists would argue about the embrace or concave being rich and fertile in alluvial soil carried from upstream and deposited by the river. While that may explain the plant life, how does it explain the phenomenon we observe in every major city in the world? Without exception, the elbow or convex parts of the city tend to be rundown and poorly developed compared to the concave side just across the river!
Back to Jalan Bangsar, there are a row of shops that line the road. Due to their orientation, they all face south. Thus, the hills are on their backs and they face a downhill slope and ultimately, the Klang River. This is a very sweet spot as south-facing properties can tap into the gentle, homogenous energy pool.
Not surprisingly, these shops have managed to thrive and survive for so many years. Despite the heavy traffic and limited car parking space, it continued to do well. In other parts of Kuala Lumpur, such as Jalan Yew and the Pudu area, we observed that the lack of parking space (removed for road expansion purposes) contributed to the decline of shops – on top of poor environologic conditions.
Slow traffic
As for these shops in Bangsar, the same may happen. In the past, despite the presence of heavy traffic, it was probably too slow-moving (long-time residents and commuters will remember the horrendous traffic jams!) to cause a dispersal of earth energy.
Before the nearby KL Sentral was built, KTM’s huge railway yard was located on the opposite side of Jalan Bangsar. Although they are train tracks, there are no fast-moving trains that generate air turbulence which disperses earth energy.
Therefore, things were good then. Today, Jalan Bangsar is still congested at peak hours but road expansion works have eased the flow. There is an LRT line running alongside the road. These trains move fast enough to impact the energy in their vicinity. Over time, their impact will be felt. The LRT has been in operation for some years now, so there are likely to be some signs of this happening.
Around the vicinity of the Bangsar LRT station, there is a small commercial area, with shops facing Jalan Bangsar, and the internal roads – such as Jalan Kemuja, Jalan Bangsar Utama 1, 3 and 8.
South-facing properties here, by virtue of facing downhill, are more conducive than north-facing ones, such as those along Jalan Kemuja.
Kompleks Niaga Utama
Jalan Bangsar Utama 1 connects to Lorong Ma’arof which forms an embracing bend. Cradled within this embrace is the Kompleks Niaga Utama, a five-storey shop-cum-office building belonging to the Urban Development Authority (UDA). It is occupied by traders and small business owners.
The ideal orientation for this complex would be south-west, towards the bend. The next conducive directions would be south and west, as both directions also slope downhill. With the right orientation, this should be a popular location.
On the main road, at the intersection between Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Ma’arof, there is Dataran Maybank. This is a relatively recent addition to Bangsar and Maybank scored a coup by securing such a prime location. It was launched in November, 2001.
The complex comprises two 20-storey and one 22-storey tower blocks. They serve to consolidate the Maybank Group under one roof – and alleviate the congestion at Menara Maybank. The head offices of Mayban Finance, Mayban Life, Mayban Assurance, Mayban Securities and Maybank Investment Bank, among others, are now located here.
The three blocks – Mayban Finance Tower, Mayban Assurance Tower and MaybanLife Tower – stand independently of each other but are enclosed within a circle to reflect the “family unity” concept of the banking group. The podium’s roof has an “eco-friendly” garden square.
Face south
From an Environology perspective, the buildings that face south are likely to do well, followed by south-west and west. However, we are concerned about the proximity of the LRT line. Nonetheless, the impact may not be acute or immediate since the LRT station is located near the towers.
As trains approach a station, they have to slow down. When they depart, they also take some time to reach cruising speed. This may reduce the air turbulence caused by the movement. Then, earth energy might not be dispersed as rapidly.
We have observed this phenomenon in other parts of Kuala Lumpur in our tour. However, there are also cases, such as Plaza Rakyat where the impact is not lessened at all. It could be one of the factors that afflicted the project, which remains stalled to this day.
Other features within this part of Jalan Bangsar are several low-cost and mid-range housing schemes, such as Sri Pahang Flats off Jalan Bukit Bangsar and Sri Bangsar condo. Alluding to KTM’s history and the location of the railway yard nearby, KTM’s staff quarters are still located here along Jalan Abdullah.
The flats are situated in a small valley which is ideal for collecting earth energy and attracting people. A high-density and cramped flat may not be what you have in mind, but it still fits the description.
Ancient Environology texts did say that pools of energy attract life but noted some interesting “side effects” such as a rise in gangsterism, protection rackets, prostitution and other vices.
Could the same be happening here then? Would it be the result of Environological forces or just a plain social problem arising from the demographics of the inhabitants here? You are free to draw your own conclusions.
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