So, while we're on the subject of all things metal - yes, in case you missed a previous episode, I recently discovered that a key common denominator in my life is metal. Be it career, collecting, treasure hunting, investing or simply an interest in nature. So metal is now a key theme for me to follow. I love metal. It's shiny, it's hard, it's valuable, it's beautiful.
I digress, so yeah while we're on the subject of metal, let's talk about what I can do right now, given that I am currently unemployed, and thus can't indulge much. What I can indulge in is research, and planning for what I am going to do once I get a job and am feeling a bit more confident about our finances.
There's a long and interesting history here in Malaysia. There has been influence from the Arabs, from the Portuguese, the Dutch, and most recently the British. Well, colonial interest anyway. You can also throw in the Japanese occupation during WW2. Plus the local history itself. All told then, there are a good 500 years of historical events involving many different groups that have left some kind of imprint behind. I know the indigenous culture and history stretches much further back, but that influence is a little more subtle and more culturally ingrained, rather than specifically leading to relics and treasure, as is my current bent.
So I have compiled a list of locations I'd like to go here in KL/Selangor while we're here, if time, finances and other commitments allow. Starting with where we are currently living:
Sungai Pelek
This is where we are staying at the moment, in my wife's parents house. At face value, one wouldn't think there was much to check out here. But, it turns out there was some significant action here both in WW2 and also in what they call The Emergency, a communist incursion in the 50's. Apparently there was a local fellow by the name of Mr Lim Yee Ko, who helped some trapped British soldiers evade the invading Japanese, and then escape. I might go check out the local library to see if there is any reference to that there, particularly any maps of possible British military camps / outposts etc.
1. Sungai Pelek township.
2. Pantai Sepang Putra, the suburb we live in, kind of separate to the main town.
3. Bagan Lalang, the main beach in the area, replete with resorts and a few restaurants.
4. An interesting looking beach to the west, behind the main palm oil plantations in the area.
5. A pretty big looking industrial zone - I think I saw a large ship moored here from the beach.
6. A series of smaller townships, that I had no idea existed.
As stated earlier, I'll need to do some local research to find out if there are any particular spots of significance (like old British barracks) in the SP town itself. Our suburb is a new development, so I doubt much here. The beach though, is a big drawcard for locals, so if I can get hold of a detector, it'd be a good spot to look for coins. Same with the western beach - I am going to go have a look soon. These palm oil plantations were likely rubber in the old days, and likely British owned at that time. So there could be some decent detecting to be done, or even fossicking around old buildings etc. The industrial zone and suburbs to the east I simply did not know were there, so am keen to go have a sticky-beak soon. Of course most treasure hunting potential is going to have to wait until I get a metal detector, but I am keen to explore more around here for interest sakes only as well!
Sepang
Sepang is a bit more inland of SP, so not sure what we'll find here. First off the bat though is the F1 Track, not that Malaysia hosts a GP any more. However, they did do so for years, and I imagine there are 1000's of coins / relics to be found, particularly around the carparks etc. I doubt I could ever get anywhere near the public viewing areas with a detector, but on the perimeters? Perhaps! Worth further thought and a sneaky peak anyway, but this one is probably only worth pursuing with a detector in hand!
Here's a map of the F1 circuit, courtesy of www.wonderfulmalaysia.com. The outer carparks are the areas I would check out if I get the chance. As suspected, further investigation of Sepang generally, yielded little result. As it happens, Sepang is the youngest district in Selangor as of now, so I don't think there's much to be gained from digging deeper there. Not while there are many other, bigger targets to focus on.
Kuala Lumpur
KL has been the key place in Malaysia for a long, long time. It is also an Asian capital city, and has been hugely developed over the last few decades in particular. So on the one hand, there are an enormous amount of target locations for hunting lost treasure. But on the other hand, many of these places - perhaps most - have been buried under skyscrapers, highways, shopping malls, apartment blocks, etc. So I suspect KL is one of those places that one needs to be pretty astute about when it comes to considering target areas for relics and the like. I have no doubt there are hundreds of areas to be found, but for now, I have come up with a short-list of initial target areas, which is where I shall being, given the opportunity to do so!
Courtesy of the Star newspaper comes an image that is not that easy to find, but actually all too common in central KL. More towards the KLCC and Ampang areas, are dozens of examples of colonial era homes. Some of these are now embassies or ambassador residences. But many of them are abandoned. Near the Pearl condo close to KLCC and on or near Persiaran Ampang are several dozen of these places. I assume they are there, waiting for someone to want to build a condo in the area, and pay sky-high prices for them. Many look like they have been abandoned for decades! Imagine the wealth of finds to be sources from their grounds?
Padang Merbok is an old rugby ground on Jalan Parlimen. Thanks to Robert Steiner for the photo. From some maps I have seen, it seem that this ground persists from the old British days. So I reckon, whilst it is along a main road, and is still frequently used, it should present a wonderful target for old coins and potentially relics. Especially from the British period. I have walked past this place many, many times. In fact on an old walking post when we lived in KL, I took a sweaty picture on the side of the road here. It's quite expansive, with enough space to encompass two or three full sports grounds, plus the requisite infrastructure. Detecting here would need to be done carefully and perhaps very quietly, but I believe it would yield awesome results.
Third on the initial KL list is Lake Gardens. This is an expansive area in central KL, encompassing the Lake Club, numerous gardens, bird park, etc. Looking at historic maps of KL, this place has persisted since the early days. That means it's a prime target for metal detecting. With the Heritage Act and also I believe the likely poor attitude towards private treasure hunting here - especially in public places - well, one will have to be cautious. But much as with the earlier examples, I imagine the treasures here, and the stories they can tell, will be priceless......
Port Dickson
http://great-railway-journeys-malaysia.weebly.com/port-dickson-railway.html
This website is awesome! We live not far from Port Dickson at the moment, and based on what I read about this old rail line there, it's absolutely worth investigating further and maybe doing some detecting once I get a detector.
There are also a lot of beach areas in PD (don't these Malaysians love their acronyms? PD, KL, KK, PJ, to name a few. So I suspect some beach hunting would yield rewards. Local coins are not worth much, with notes here going all the way down to RM1 (~30c Aussie). But who knows, those beaches have been there forever, so depending on how much the coastline has changed (sand movements etc) and how much it has been hunted previously, it might yield some historical finds, and maybe some relics or jewelry.
Garrett
The metal detector I am most keen to buy is the Garrett AT Pro. I have seen thousands of YouTube videos of metal detecting, and a host of different detectors used. For gold hunting, I might go a different way, but for coins / treasure / general metal, I suspect this one is pretty close to the pick of the bunch. Plus their pointer, scoop and other gear are bloody good. It appears there is a dealer here in Malaysia, so again, depending on how things pan out, we might grab one here, otherwise it'll be wherever we end up next.
Local Law
Hmm, interesting. I have only found a couple of references on this, but it would appear that any relic found belongs to the government, according to a new 2005 law. I suspect coins and such would be ok, but probably only if they are circulating coins. If you found a British silver or gold coin for example, or an historical relic, you'd need to be careful. I think I'll just leave that there. Be aware of what you publicise!
Down The Track
If there's some longevity here there might even be decent detecting weekends to be had at places like Cameron (although likely not much old ground left here), Frasers Hill, Penang, Slim River (scene of major WW2 battle between Brits and Japs), Malacca and no doubt a host of others. Lipis for example, has a colonial house at the top of a hill behind the Centrepoint Hotel, that used to be the centre for colonial affairs in the area. There's a good chance of relics to be found there.
The long and short of it is that while it may be difficult to find a lot of locations here, I think the potential for some amazing finds is high. Plus it's a great place to start! Let's hope I get a job soon. Haha, if I get one in Oz though, I might end up not having time or opportunity here. Oh well, we'll take it as it comes.
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