BY: ROBERT PLACHCIAK
Finding lush, green forest and hilly roads of Bukit Persekutuan a perfect gift after 15 years in Malaysia.
A hazy view of Kuala Lumpur’s skyscrapers from Jalan Travers. Although the area is quiet, there is no feeling of danger, just peace.
OCTOBER 12 was my 15th anniversary in Malaysia, which at present time I am tempted to call Mal-haze-ia.
When I first arrived, the worst part of KL life was the jams with the construction in Kepong and the fact that there was no road from the Damansara-Puchong Highway near Bandar Utama to Kota Damansara.
We didn’t have to contend with the terrible haze.
My Malaysian friends have been kind enough to point out how, being mat salleh, I have a “long nose” which will drag in 50% more smoke particles than my Asian counterparts. And being a foot taller, I am in the thick of the haze clouds.
As with everything in my life, I need my zen – a place to be where time stands still and I can breathe the air and feel the morning mist, where I can see, hear, smell and feel nature.
After moving from Mont Kiara to Kelana Jaya and now to Bangsar, I had to find a place to go running and sniff out the local sports amenities.
I have been referred to as a health freak and superfit by people, but in fact I am a very ordinary Joe.
I eat healthily during the day and allow myself a few beers and junk food in the evening.
I exercise for health and fitness but also with goals in mind, such as the Port Dickson International Triathlon earlier this month and the Putrajaya and Langkawi Ironman races next year.
In search of zen, I found the local sports centre – Bangsar Sports Complex – tucked away in a housing area in Jalan Terasik 3. The main attraction for me, being a wannabe triathlete, is the 25m pool, but there’s all the other stuff you need there too, such as a gym, tennis courts and all sorts of other healthy, fitness stuff at a low price.
I don’t like exercising on treadmills, so I have been jogging in the neighbourhood and generally nosing around, looking at architecture, checking out the back alleys and the big houses and then, along one street, I found what I would describe as my “stairway to heaven.”
There’s no Led Zeppelin playing up there, but this little steep stairway joins my part of Bangsar to the otherwise almost inaccessible (on foot) area called Federal Hill, or for my Malaysian friends “Bukit Persekutuan.”
When I stepped off the last step of the staircase in Lorong Limau Manis 2 and onto the tarmac road of Jalan Negeri Sembilan, I knew I had found zen in the form of a lush, green area of secondary forest and rolling hilly roads suitable for me to walk in safety without crazy traffic and without the terrible haze. The haze is there for sure, but with all the trees and cool morning air, I never noticed it.
There is almost an eeriness with some derelict or abandoned mansions in Lorong Travers and Jalan Negeri Sembilan Selatan, but no feeling of danger, just peace.
What is this fellow talking about, I hear you saying. I have a big nose and it’s great for sniffing out adventure. My wife and I went walking several times anywhere from eight to 12kms, even at night, just absorbing the area. The roads eventually lead to Jalan Damansara if you need an escape route, or if you like walking, you can venture through Jalan Johor over to the Istana Kedah then onto Jalan Kelantan and – via Jalan Jelotong – through Damansara Heights back to Bangsar Shopping Centre with a few good uphill stretches. You can, with some intrepidation, eventually reach the Lake Gardens, though you may need to cross a highway in the process and I wouldn’t recommend that.
The area has some bursts of beautiful forest and very few people or cars. In the mornings, I am one of a handful of generally elderly people and a few dogs out for their morning exercise. There is myriad beautiful trees, palms, flowers, old bungalows and plenty of squirrels and kingfishers to keep your eyes occupied and your heart light; I’ve even seen a pair of Greater Racket-Tailed drongos flitting through the forest. No, that’s not a reference to some kind of annoying person. It’s a black bird with long tailfeathers, which though not rare, is very interesting to see.
I didn’t think I could find something so close and accessible, which literally makes me feel like I am on holiday from the city every morning.
The strange contrast as you walk from Jalan Johor down the hill along Lorong Travers is the striking skyscrapers that loom into view as you leave the trees behind, and pass the derelict houses almost looking like they are standing guard over the area. There is a definite juxtapose between the skyscrapers of KL Sentral and Bukit Persekutuan.
This is part of the essence of my love for Malaysia. Though developed, it still has a tug of war between the forest and the concrete. There are still some old buildings when set against the young glass-and-concrete buildings, which still provide some colonial elegance that should be preserved or even renovated and exploited for tourism. I am sure people still want to see the old KL in its former glory.
How many people love to see Central Market, or the little ramshackle houses next to Bukit Nenas?
While writing this, I am in Malacca, enjoying a few late-night strolls, appreciating both the development of hotels for tourism and the delicate preservation of the very reason the hotels are there, which is the fact of Malacca being a historical city with all of its old-world charm and laidback feeling.
While others have been seeking out the latest bars and trendy restaurants, I have been taking a trip back in time to a slightly older KL where – despite being surrounded by its hip contemporary counterpart – Bukit Persekutuan holds a distinct elegance and charm that I am completely in love with.
It is best seen on foot; I wouldn’t spoil the experience by razzing round at top speed, or even by crawling round at 5kmph either, in the car.
It’s lovely in the morning at first light and surreal by night with the orange street lamps. However, do make sure you know where you are heading if you walk and please don’t leave anything behind except happy memories; the world doesn’t need any more pink plastic bags, cigarette packs or empty drinks cartons.
Hope you enjoy the hidden city. It’s been a great 15th anniversary present to find the stairway to (my) heaven.
A weaver by trade and general manager by profession, Rob has been residing in Malaysia the past 15 years after moving here from England in search of adventure and professional experience. He’s a proud Hasher, a serious music lover and absent diver.
