BEAUFORT, Jan 18 — Sabah’s nine new fire stations will be ready next year, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said.

She said the fire stations are located in Beaufort, Putatan, Kota Belud, Semporna, Kudat, Merotai, Nabawan, Lahad Datu and Semporna.

"Many are already under construction while others, such as the ones in Merotai and Nabawan, have had their groundbreaking ceremonies,” she told reporters after visiting the new fire station project site here today.

The Putatan station is the only one left in which construction has yet to take off as it was still waiting for its design plans.

Meanwhile, Zuraida said the new fire station here, which replaces the existing one located some 10 minutes away, costs RM6.3 million.

It is being built on a 2.7-acre piece of land and is due for completion May next year, with 30 personnel to be stationed there.

The existing staff quarters, which is located next to the new project site, will also be upgraded at a cost of RM190,000, Zuraida said.

"The existing Beaufort fire station has seen better days and there was a need for it to be replaced with a new one,” she said. — Bernama