Bearish oil prices, economic turbulence, ringgit depreciation and negative news from around the world have cast a shadow on 2016. However, Chinese metaphysics consultant Dato’ Joey Yap sees a silver lining behind the gloominess.

During an interview with TheEdgeProperty.com following the end of his presentation at his Feng Shui and Astrology Seminar 2016 in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday, Yap said the Year of the Fire Monkey will see the Fire element being dominant this year. Chinese astrology is divided into Wuxing or the five elements — metal, wood, water, fire and earth, with each element having its own strengths.

According to Yap, the overall outlook for Malaysia is optimistic as the country will continue to see positive growth. “Overall, I would give a B+ to 2016, as there are strong elements which support the country,” he said.

However, it will remain a challenging year for the country as there may be a crisis looming in the horizon. However, Yap said the crisis could be resolved with the unity of Malaysians.

He added that there are indications of some problems or accidents related to transportation which will make the headlines this year.

“The water element hidden underneath is strong, so it might be a tsunami alert while the strong fire element indicates strong winds, which could mean a typhoon or wind-related disaster,” he explained.

Malaysia has strong metal elements but the element will clash with the dominant fire element and wood element this year — signalling conflict and disputes as well as a possible “explosion” incident.

A strong fire element also represents competition and people may have difficulty controlling their temper and there will be explosive behaviours, which trigger disputes.

The metal element clashing with the dominant fire element will affect industries related to the metal element including the financial and banking sectors, automotive and manufacturing segments, and legal as well as military professions.

Meanwhile, the earth element is the weakest this year. Industries related to the earth element will see slow growth in the year of the Fire Monkey, including the property, construction, insurance, mining and escrow services sectors.

Assets instead of cash

The first six months of this year may see the ringgit depreciate to RM5 against the US dollar, predicted Yap. Due to the ringgit’s depreciation, many developers have diversified their portfolio to the overseas market. Yap sees this as a smart move as this could help them cushion the currency volatility.

Yap, himself a property investor, also gave some pointers on property investing this year.

“In general, I would say north and south are the ‘most wanted’ directions as the places in these two directions — Penang and Johor — are booming. Although the Johor market has slowed, it’s still a good place to look at in the long-run,” he remarked.

Despite the slowdown in the property sector, Yap suggested that 2016 will be a good year for buying a house for one’s own stay or for long-term investment.

“In general, a lot of [property] players are slowing down their development pace. If you are a true investor, now is a good time to buy properties as people may be desperate to sell. But do keep in mind, it’s for long-term investment — it is not a good time for speculation,” he said.

Furthermore, from the Chinese astrology perspective, as the metal element clashes with the fire element, the ringgit’s (metal element) value will depreciate further. So, “instead of keeping the cash in the bank, it’s better to accumulate assets”, he added.

Klang Valley property market outlook

From the feng shui perspective, Kuala Lumpur’s Mont’Kiara and Bangsar, and Semenyih in Selangor are showing good signs of growth.

“There are some good stars in the Mont’Kiara area, I don’t think it’s running out of steam yet as an investment hotspot,” Yap explained.

He noted that for those looking to buy a property for their own stay, Bangsar is another good choice. “The mountain dragon is in good long lasting position, offering good Feng Shui to residents there. However, in terms of capital appreciation, it might be slower as there is no growth star in that area,” he said.

In feng shui, mountains and water are two important elements as they represent Yin and Yang — elements to consider when choosing properties. Feng Shui is a metaphysical science where one learns to recognise and tap the Qi (cosmic energies) of the living environment to benefit an individual’s life.

Semenyih is a good location, especially after the opening of a new highway, said Yap. “The highway has improved the accessibility to Semenyih. From the Feng Shui perspective, it has also opened a way for ‘water’ to pass by that area, linking wealth to Semenyih,” he said.

He also saw good feng shui in Kuala Lumpur’s Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Damansara Heights, Bukit Tunku, Seputeh and Kota Damansara in Selangor. But he noticed that the strength in the KLCC area and Damansara Perdana area in Petaling Jaya has weakened.

“TTDI has one of the oldest (mountain) dragons, however, its power has weakened as many roads have been built in the area — breaking the neck of the dragon — the growth momentum is still there but the pace is slowing. Overall, TTDI is still a good place,” he explained.

He added that popular places such as Kota Damansara, Damansara Heights, Bukit Tunku and Seputeh are still great as the mountain in these places are still intact, offering good feng shui to those residing in these areas.

Signs of recovery in 2018

Despite the negative news and sentiments whirling around suggesting that Malaysia’s economy may dive this year owing to the weak ringgit and poor commodity prices, Yap is confident that the economy will remain intact. “Growth may be slower with a lot of challenges ahead but it definitely will not hit bottom,” he said.

“We will have some challenges economically and politically, but Malaysia is located in a good area. As long as people are united and the business community wants to continue to grow, things will improve in the long run,” he explained.

On the property market, he said signs of a rebound will only appear by end-2017 (Rooster year) as the earth element will dominate in 2018. He expects another property boom then.

“Currently, although the earth element is weak, the growth momentum did not disappear. Property prices might dip a little but it will not be a sharp decline,” he said.

Seeking guidance from Chinese metaphysics

When times are bad, more people will become interested in Chinese metaphysics to provide them with better insights into their destiny, observed Yap.

Interestingly, during the Q&A session at the seminar, a number of questions were related to changing career paths or starting of businesses. Some of them came from those in the banking and oil and gas industries (metal and fire element). Yap said the weakening of the metal element would have some impact on its related industries. Employees in these industries may be affected, hence their concern and need to seek advice from Chinese metaphysics.

However, he clarified that Chinese metaphysics is not fortune telling. “We call it destiny analysis, providing options through a method of systematic analysis,” he explained.

“A better year starts with better decisions, but it’s not easy to make good decisions as they depend on available options or choices; the question is how to determine which is the best choice or option. What destiny analysis does is to give you an insight into those choices,” he explained.