Of Places Familiar – Mont Kiara

I work in Mont Kiara, an upmarket area in the northern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. There is the commercial hub, Plaza Mont Kiara, which is surrounded by swanky apartments and condo units, and flanked by two private schools. When I began to work here as a writer about a year and a half ago, I quickly discovered how convenient it is for me. Just fifteen minutes away from my home in Petaling Jaya, and just fifteen minutes away from the city, it has everything within easy reach, and on occasion, walking distance too.

I found I could get my haircut at the Indian barber at Plaza Mont Kiara, lunch is readily available everywhere. There is a motor workshop nearby for emergencies (I learnt this through experience, having a beat-up decade old Proton Saga). There is a gym with a pool, which I use frequently during the week. And with the new footpath into Desa Sri Hartamas, I get easy access to Burger King, stall food, and also the pet shop, where I get my dogs groomed. Very easy.

Saying this though, I can’t imagine its being a tourist destination. There really is little to offer culturally, since most of the retail outlets cater to the higher middle income bracket, and expatriate community. There is nothing traditional or cultural happening in Mont Kiara, unless you count the Sunrise Jazz Festival, and the flea market (no longer so-called, because it never really was a flea market – the place is too upmarket for second-hand goods to be sold!) on Thursdays and Sundays “cultural” (see pic above right).

I think the developers, Sunrise Berhad (or an associate company) had designed the neighbourhood to be “posh” though. Aside from the obvious frenchified “Mont” in its name, the location of the international schools, Mont Kiara’s feel and vibe comes across as being slightly contrived, dare I say, calculated. That notwithstanding, I am quite content to work in the fountain-sprayed environment of Plaza Mont Kiara. It is also a place I go to when I want to spend some time alone with a book, and a cup of coffee. And many of my friends come here to work in the coffee places in the area. It has that kind of tranquil atmosphere.

All this, of course, draws in quite an interesting crowd. Aside from the working expats (from Japanese to Middle Eastern to Americans), there is the usual bunch of international school kids (sometimes by the droves), as well as quite a lot of local eye candy. A friend who moved to Singapore used to despair at the state of Malaysian women, until he began to hang out at the local Starbucks. Then I began to receive quite a lot of text messages, expressing relief that there were some “hot chicks” in Kuala Lumpur after all.

Not all is well in paradise though. The new monolithic Penchala Link highway (see pic above right) has marred the poshness of Mont Kiara. The terraced highway cuts right across Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (another “posh” district) right over Mont Kiara to Jalan Duta. However, I find the sight of it pretty exciting, like a huge endless expanse of concrete leading to edge of imagination. Also, there are heaps of new developments and building erected every month, like the bright “Shoplex” in the picture above (left).

If I’m not mistaken, this whole area used to be palm oil plantations, which was developed (and still is being developed) by design to cater to the upwardly mobile community. The downside of the area is that it can get quite dusty, with all the construction going on. Unsurprisingly, right next to Mont Kiara is the neglected and less wealthy area, Segambut. I once got lost one evening while being adventurous, and took a turn I usually didn’t, and ended up somewhere in Segambut. The roads are dark and narrow, and houses look lean and quiet. It took me some time to find my way back to somewhere familiar, but I think I will go down there again one day. I’m sure there must be adventures to be had there.