Golden Treasure

The word “Hartamas” (literally, golden treasure) conjures up images of great wealth and prosperity. Looking at it today, one would be inclined to believe that. Yet, for quite sometime, the Sri Hartamas area was quite the boondocks and lagged behind Damansara Heights, which rose to prominence much earlier.

Sri Hartamas was located in more hilly terrain than Damansara Heights or even Bangsar. It was also located at what was then the boondocks. It was at the edge of Kuala Lumpur, and it was surrounded by hills. Access roads then were limited: a small winding kampung road connected it to Segambut; one small road joins Jalan Duta; and another from Jalan Damansara.

(For Google map reference, please log on to http://maps.google.co.uk/ and search for “Kuala Lumpur”.)

Although developers tried to sweeten the deal by building small town bungalows, semi-detached houses and townhouses, and wide roads for street parking, it did not become a runaway success. Perhaps there were many other options for people to choose from. Perhaps it was the location – being difficult to access, having limited amenities and isolated by hilly ranges – that deterred potential buyers. Security was an issue as isolated areas tend to be easy pickings for burglars and thieves.

Things changed as people became more affluent and land within the city boundaries grew scarce. Caught in the so-called rat race, young urban professionals were interested in a modern lifestyle and sought greener living spaces. Not surprisingly, the pressure to develop hill slopes grew, as seen elsewhere in the Klang Valley. Somehow, the idea of living in high-rise condominiums with a majestic view of the cityscape became irresistible.

It is reminiscent of the old Beverly Hillbillies television programme. When “poor” folks strike it rich, they decide to move upmarket to match their stature. While the Clampetts could depend on Texan oil to sustain their lifestyle, we are more concerned that these so-called upper-middle class folks may be living precariously on high-debt.

LONELY TOWN
For a long-time, the main development in Sri Hartamas was Bandar Sri Hartamas. This was developed back in the 1980s.

The boom of the early to mid-1990s saw a revival of interest in Sri Hartamas. Interest grew with the development of Mont Kiara and Desa Sri Hartamas. The area’s growth came in tandem with the development of new highways that strategically connect Sri Hartamas to the rest of the Klang Valley and beyond.

The Sprint Highway created links to Taman Tun Dr Ismail, the Federal Highway and the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP). The New Klang Valley Expressway connects residents to Klang and north to the North-South Highway. The recent addition of the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) provides direct access to Sentul and Ulu Klang.

Such ease of access helped the area attract many expatriates and families as well. One of the earliest condo projects, Mont Kiara, was very popular with families from Australia, Europe, India and Japan. Condo owners here tend to rent out their units rather than stay there because of the attractive rentals.

The property boom continues to this day, despite a brief hiccup from the economic downturns in 1997/8 and 2008/9. Mont Kiara continues to grow with sister developments. To date, there are more than 14 completed Mont Kiara projects, with 11’Mont Kiara currently under development. Demand has been good.

There are plenty of residents to support businesses and sustain a vibrant nightlife in Desa Sri Hartamas.

GOLDEN COUNTRYSIDE
Desa Sri Hartamas became a big beneficiary of the influx of foreigners as restaurants, bars and clubs began to spring up and enjoy good business. The demographics are good and there are plenty of residents to support businesses and sustain a vibrant nightlife. Today, it rivals nearby Bangsar as a favourite watering hole for foreigners.

Of course, the going will only remain good so long as there is a sustainable demand for the expensive rentals. Economic crises tend to force expatriates home as was seen by the 1997/8 Asian financial crisis. We have no doubt the same happened following the recent global financial meltdown.

On the surface, things look good for Sri Hartamas and it would appear to be headed for continuous good times in the foreseeable future. However on the ground and in pockets here and there, that may not be true. While all businesses go through ups and downs, and some may not be able to survive even in the best of times, could there be an environologic reason behind the fortunes of Sri Hartamas?

Even a cursory glance would reveal that development and progress are not consistently seen throughout the entire area. Some places do well while their neighbours across the road or down the block struggle. Among those that do well, there are varying degrees of success, just as among the strugglers, there are also some that seem to weather the tough times better.

Over the next few articles, we will take a tour of Sri Hartamas and observe the landform of the area. We will see how different parts of extant buildings fare vis-a-vis their terrain, and whether they confirm or disprove our hypothesis based on ancient environology principles. We will also extrapolate how new developments are likely to fare based on the same hypothesis.

HILLY TERRAIN
Sri Hartamas’ hilly ranges create both opportunity and danger to the inhabitants. There is abundant movement of energy here and it is important to find an orientation that suits the occupants. Earth energy constantly moves from highland to low. Fast-moving energy down steep slopes is considered too strong and harmful to people living or doing business there. Slow meandering energy is considered more conducive, and the best is a pool of gentle, homogenous energy.

We all recognise that vibrations can travel through solid matter, and they are a form of energy. We also accept that water flows from a high point to the lowest area it can find. Objects placed on high ground contain potential energy, which can be converted into kinetic, heat and sound energy when they are allowed to fall.

Therefore, it is possible for a form of earth energy to exist and move in the manner we have often described in our articles. The ancient Chinese sages called this “chi” (or breath). They classified “chi” into three forms or having three sources – heavens (the interplanetary bodies), earth and human.

We cannot see it and up to now, we cannot measure it – because no scientist has taken the trouble to study and produce instruments that can do so. However, it does not mean it does not exist. We cannot see the wind, but know it is there by its manifestation – we can feel it and it can move leaves, for example. We cannot see electricity – to date, no one has ever seen an electron – but we infer it is there by looking at its manifestation, such as making a bulb glow, or turn a motor.

When earth energy flows from the mountains, it moves along the surface in a vortex (similar to how water in a river flows). Its path, shape and strength are affected by the constituents of the ground. Generally, properties should not face high land because they will stand in the path of oncoming energy. Imagine standing neck-deep and facing upstream in a rushing river.

THAT DROWNING FEELING
You may not drown immediately, but you will be feeling very tense and uncomfortable staying in that position for long! Thus, occupants in such properties will not be feeling right and this can affect their relationships with each other, health, ability to make or keep money and make progress in their careers.

On the other hand, if you are in the same river but now face downstream, you will most likely feel better as the back of your head is shielding you from the rushing water (watch out for flotsam and jetsam that may still knock into you, though!).

The best scenario would be to face a river, as earth energy tends to lose much of its force when it reaches a body of water, which has a different rigidity. The energy is reflected and deflected, collecting in a pool if the riverbank curves to embrace the land. Think of a parabolic dish.

If the hill or mountain range forms a “U” to surround a piece of property, and an embracing river runs across the opening of this “claw”, that property is considered to be the most conducive. It traps the energy within a confined space and is gentle enough to attract life and success.

All life is naturally attracted to such places, and ancient sages often sought out such places to site towns and buildings.

Bandar Sri Hartamas has several small ranges that run parallel to each other, like fingers in a hand. There is no enclosure on either end to stop or collect the energy. Hence, the energy moves along the valley and exits. This is probably one of the reasons why it is lagging behind neighbouring Damansara Heights.