KUDAT, Aug 3 (Bernama) — The Karakit police station in Pulau Banggi, off Kudat and situated in the northern region of Sabah needs to be upgraded to provide a more conducive working environment for police personnel stationed on the island and to beef up security in and around the island.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said 38 police personnel stationed in Karakit and headed by an Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP), were finding it difficult to carry out their duties well, due to a lack of facilities.

The building is old and lacks space for the contingent members to carry out their daily duties.

He said since the island had a vast potential to develop into a tourist destination, there was an urgent need to upgrade facilities related to security in and around the island.

“The police quarters especially can only accommodate 12 personnel and that certainly does not provide a conducive environment for the police personnel…furthermore there is a lack of houses that can be rented since most people live in their own property.

“I came to (Pulau Banggi) today to carry out the Outreach Community Policing programme and finalise a working paper to be submitted to the government for the upgrading process,” said Acryl Sani who was accompanied by Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Idris Abdullah.

It takes about two hours by boat from Kudat to reach Pulau Banggi which is situated about 185km from Kota Kinabalu.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency