Throw out the wind chimes, the lucky figurines, crystals and trinkets that litter your home. They represent a Western, new age belief system that Joey Yap, a master of classic feng shui, says is rubbish.

Before everyone swoons with shock, listen to the man who preaches what he practises: pure feng shui as embraced in the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907) until Chairman Mao forbade it in 1949. Now China is learning feng shui Yap’s way.

"No lucky objects, symbols or cultural superstitions, no rituals no chants, no prayers — all you need is a compass and floor map, then you can do classic feng shui," Yap, 32, proclaims from his office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His north-east-facing desk is surrounded by energy-giving qi (pronounced "chi"), where he wrote Joey Yap’s Pure Feng Shui on a 30-inch-screen laptop.

But won’t new age aficionados be upset at his revolutionary turnabout? "The outcome is always successful," Yap says, having racked up 12 years as a feng shui consultant to IBM, Microsoft, Bloomberg, HSBC bank and others.

So, let’s test him. How to become rich? He sighs. Everyone asks that. Money, he says, isn’t everything (yawn) but if I insist, living over water is problematic (cash sloshes in and out apparently).

"You cannot save to make money so you must invest in one expensive property," he says. "Before the economic downturn it was hard, now it is going cheap. Also study the vendor’s feng shui. That increases your chances of (a) good investment."

What about people with serious debt, bills piling up despite a good job — how do they cope? And those who overspend on a vacation, how do they recoup? They must work harder, Yap says. Give value for money. Then opportunity will come their way. "Their birth date plus star sign plus floor-plan direction will work qi in their favour," he assures. "They have only to ask and they will get."

It sounds so easy. "Well, it is," he murmurs, qi practically buzzing down the phone. He has a solution for everything, from happiness in the home to relationship and career success. To activate promotion, I must locate the south-east sector of my house, toss in a water feature (a vase with flowers will do) and opportunities will come. "And don’t sit in front of a door. Concentration will vanish," Yap barks. "If you must, close the door and qi will swirl."

What about bagging Mr or Ms Right? "All people need (to) do is match their birth date to their star and they will find the person meant for them."

As for bringing sex into the bedroom, "a little drop of water is the triggering component because sometimes people lack passion".

There’s a solution to bad health, so simple it’s a bit rich: switch bedrooms. Is he serious? "If you are always sick there is definitely something wrong with your room. Try changing it. If that’s all it takes, do it."

And above all else, get some shut-eye. "I sleep. If I don’t get enough I get stressed out," Yap says. Bed facing north-east. Mountain at back. Water in front. Perfect.

Joey Yap’s Pure Feng Shui — dos and don’ts:

Door rules

Avoid trees outside, they stop the flow of qi.

Don’t sit with a door behind you, concentration will go (if you must, close the door and qi will flow).

Workspace rules

Don’t have your desk directly under a beam.

Don’t sit under a slanting ceiling. If you must, sit where the ceiling is highest.

Don’t sit with your back directly to a corner.

Bedroom rules

Accident-prone? Sleep in a bed with brass or other metal frame.

Squabbles with your partner? Put a red rug down, or a red table lamp, to negate the room’s bad effects.

Kitchen rules

Don’t put the stove right next to the sink, this creates blood-pressure problems. Make sure they are at least 30 centimetres apart.

Avoid an island with a stove. Food is affected by negative qi resulting in health problems.

Don’t buy a house with a kitchen in the centre. It causes qi disruption and frequent illness

— Daphne Guinness

International Construction Consortium (Pvt) Ltd, the premier company that stormed the Sri Lankan construction industry with its SBS pre-pressed slabs is making great strides in its offshore ventures. Two years ago it penetrated the construction sphere in the atolls of Maldives. Tourist hotels and resorts, which thrive in these islets, avail tested the innovative product extensively as they are cost effective and time saving.

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Sri Lanka’s leading pest control company, Exterminators (Pvt) Ltd. acquired international recognition by receiving the renowned ISO 14001-2004 Environmental Management System from the Sri Lanka Standards Institution. It is the only pest control company in Sri Lanka and the thi^rd pest management company in South Asia to achieve this standard.

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