KUALA LUMPUR: The Monterez Golf and Country Club (MGCC) in Shah Alam, Selangor may cease operations this month to make way for a mixed-use development comprising residential and commercial properties worth over RM1.5 billion, sources said. 

Low-key billionaire Tan Sri Surin Upatkoon will carry out the project through his company MWE Holdings Sdn Bhd, pending the local authorities' approval.

Surin, a Thai national, owns shares in three publicly traded companies namely insurer MPHB Capital Bhd, number forecast operator Magnum Bhd and toll concession and construction company WCE Holdings Bhd. 

He also sits on the boards of MPHB, Magnum, Multi-Purpose Capital Holdings Bhd, Mimaland Bhd and several private limited companies in Malaysia. 

Managing director of MGCC Datuk Ling Keak Ming declined to comment when contacted by the New Straits Times.

Letters telling the homeowners and golf resort members of the closure this month had been sent out, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. 

MGCC is a high-end golf resort with a clubhouse, 18 holes of golf, bungalows, and zero-lot land. The majority of the properties overlook the scenic golf course view.

The master developer Melati Mewah Sdn Bhd, a fully owned subsidiary of MWE, completed the leasehold development in 2009. 

The architecture, way of life and culture of the MGCC are all influenced by Melati Mewah's adoption of the Mayan civilisation, which has produced an unforgettable experience in contemporary leisure living. 

Locals and some expatriates bought properties there because of the concept, club amenities and facilities, and to own a home with a view of the golf course. 

It was reported that Melati Mewah had entered into a joint development agreement (JDA) with Pristine Primavera Sdn Bhd, which is controlled by Seow Loon Hoo (formerly from Hong Leong Bank) to develop nine pieces of leasehold land measuring about 48.2 hectares, among which two parcels were home to the golf course and clubhouse. 

MWE had announced the JDA with Pristine Primavera, a subsidiary of Newfields group of companies, on Nov 30, 2016.  In the proposed development, the companies would build over 2,000 homes, 540 apartments and other commercial buildings. 

A property owner in MGCC who declined to be named said the residents had staged protests against the developer in the past.