By David Koh and Joe Choo | Oct 14, 2009

Feng Shui: Jalan Pantai Baru

Over the past several articles on Bangsar, we observed that despite its reputation as an upmarket residential and commercial area, not all of it is that conducive for success.

The hilly and undulating terrain here generates moving earth energy that needs to be harnessed to benefit the inhabitants. Mistakes in choosing location and layout of properties tend to cause difficulties for those who occupy these spaces.

We already noted that Jalan Maarof, a main and busy access road into Bangsar, is lined with many shops that do not seem to do well. That does not discourage developers and business owners, though. New buildings can be found, such as Bangsaria. Old houses are converted into upmarket offices and showrooms. (For Google map reference, please log on to http://maps.google.co.uk/ and search for “Kuala Lumpur”.)

Thus, we continue to find troubled businesses, which sadly, continue to indicate that ancient principles of environology are still applicable in today’s modern and high-tech world.

Jalan Bukit Pantai is another main access road into Bangsar, via Taman Bukit Pantai. This is also known as a posh section of Bangsar, with big bungalows. It starts from Jalan Pantai Baru and climbs up to reach Jalan Ara.

New beach road
Jalan Pantai Baru runs parallel to the Federal Highway. It is also perpendicular to Jalan Bangsar which terminates at one end of Jalan Pantai Baru. The road then leads to Universiti Malaya before curving to Jalan Kerinchi.

In the old days, this area was better known as the headquarters of the National Electricity Board, now privatised to become Tenaga Nasional. There are staff quarters, a staff recreation club – the Kilat Club – and even a museum located here. It occupies a sizeable piece of real estate, bounded by Jalan Bukit Pantai, Pantai Baru and Bangsar. Next door was the Waterworks Department, now privatised to SYABAS.

To complete the utilities triumvirate, the Telekoms Department (now Telekom Malaysia or TM – yes, also privatised) sits on the sliver of land between Jalan Pantai Baru and the Federal Highway.

The Pantai River, originating from Universiti Malaya, runs through this tract to join the Klang River on its east. Thus, “pantai” or “beach” rather makes sense, although we think “tebing” or riverbank would be more accurate.

Nothing much has changed with Tenaga and Syabas, but TM went the whole hog and did up the place. It constructed the iconic Menara TM, with its distinctive bamboo shoot look, a stadium and another office block.

New kids on the block

It is important for properties to be located on the embrace (concave) of the river.

Plaza Pantai had the unique feature of having the LRT running right through the building! Oh yes, did we forget to mention that, apart from a river, there is also an LRT track cutting through this tract of land? Based on environology principles and our observations so far, our regular readers would undoubtedly know that these are not good signs, no matter how excited or optimistic a spin developers and real estate agents put on it.

Rivers are where earth energy (coming down from the mountains and hills) is deflected and reflected. This is a beneficial impact as fast moving energy is slowed down and allowed to collect in a gentle and homogenous pool. Properties located in such a place would do well if oriented properly because such energy pools is conducive to life and attracts it, be it in the wild as fauna and flora, or in towns, as places where people congregate.

It is important, though, for properties to be located on the embrace (concave) of the river. Such a shape acts like a parabolic dish and focuses the energy pool. On the opposite convex side, the energy is dispersed as it bounces off the river.

To benefit from this pool, properties must face this pool. Their main entrances need to be on the side that faces the concave of the river. Even if there is no concave, river-facing properties will still do better than river-backing ones.

Face the confluence
Even if properties do not directly face the river, they should at least face the flow of the river. In this case, East is a good direction. It has the benefit of facing the Klang River, too! In fact, the best direction would be somewhere East and South-east as this is where the confluence of both rivers are found. It is the best collector of energy!

Based on this observation, we can see that many properties here do not face the river or the confluence, except for a few off Jalan 2/83a. Plaza Pantai also has an entrance facing the river at Jalan 4/83a. This road is actually a good idea, as we always advocate building roads alongside rivers so that all properties end up facing the rivers.

Tucked among Wisma Goshen, Pantai and Atlas is the Kerinchi LRT station, and this may be the fly in the ointment. Trains create wind tunnels and turbulence. Water blocks and traps energy, while wind disperses it. So, where there are trains or high-speed traffic, the vicinity is usually drained of beneficial energy.

What’s more, Plaza Pantai has a “hole” in its belly, which continues to suck air out. This could explain why this part of town, despite the large number of high-profile developments for offices and commerce, continue to perform in a lacklustre manner, compared to the Mid Valley Megamall just down the road.

Plaza Cygal also struggled to be completed for over a decade. It became an eyesore to commuters along the Federal Highway and LRT. Who knows, perhaps that is one of the reasons TM bought over one of the towers, so that it could help finance its completion.

Lost opportunity
Pantai Baru was such a beautiful and ideal spot where energy can be tapped to good effect. However, the orientation of buildings here did not help, and now the opportunity is likely gone with the permanent presence of the LRT.

It’s a good thing for TM that the train veers off its property toward the Universiti station. That leaves their property “unmolested” by the train’s wind turbulence. Menara TM actually sits in a small embrace or concave of the river. Therefore, if a main entrance is opened to face this, it is likely to do even better.

Let us move on to Jalan Bukit Pantai. As we travel up the hill toward Jalan Ara, we find the Pantai Medical Centre on the left, followed by a high-class condominium project, the Zehn, which seems to be taking a long time to complete.

Part of Jalan Bukit Pantai is a ridge and the land flows downhill on both sides from the foothills up to Lorong Bukit Pantai. This Lorong leads to a roundabout and on to the famous Telawi area of Bangsar.

Jalan Bukit Pantai is known for the large number of large landed properties, and one would not be faulted for thinking some big-time tycoons live here. Instead, there are some. After all, it costs money to be able to afford the land and the huge houses.

Enter the rich
That they moved in rich is undeniable. The question is, did they remain rich, and for those who do move out, were they as rich? Could this be caused solely by unfavourable economic winds and spendthrift children, the likes of which would give Hong Kong serials a run for their money? Or could all these be linked to the environology factors affecting their homes.

We will discuss this in our next article.

MINGS talk
As the year 2009 draws to a close, we look ahead once again to see what 2010 has in store for us. Given the current economic and political situation, everyone can easily proclaim it would be more of the same, or perhaps an improvement can be seen. How accurate are such assessments?

Last year, we published Outlook 2009 that forecast the events that would happen in 2009 before they could happen. We touched on the climate, the occurrences of natural disasters, health and epidemics, changes in the political landscape, for the world and Malaysia.

Many of these “predictions” – based on the I Ching – came true and continue to be proven correct as the year draws to a close.

To learn more about how accurate we were and what is in store for 2010, don’t miss MINGS’ yearly outlook talk for the year 2010 – the Year of the Tiger.

Date: Sunday 8th November 2009
Time: 10am – 3pm
Venue: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Admission: RM78 per pax

Price inclusive of a bilingual MINGS 2010 forecast book worth RM48. Proceeds from this talk will go to MINGS for further research into environology.

Contact 016-9089147 or log on to www.mingsweb.org

*This series on feng shui and real estate properties appear courtesy of the Malaysia Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS). David Koh is the founder of MINGS and has been a feng shui master and teacher for the past 35 years.

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