# Datu Mustapha Datu Harun

_Politician and independent leader from Sabah, Malaysia_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/datu-mustapha-datu-harun
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun was a Malaysian politician who served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Sabah from May 1967 to November 1975 and the 1st Yang Di-Pertua Negara from September 1963 to September 1965 and President of the United Sabah National Organisation (USNO). He was an important figure in Sabah and sometimes known as "Father of Independence" of Sabah due to his direct involvement in negotiations leading to the formation of Malaysia from 1961 to 1963. He also play an important role in Sabah early development in terms of education, economy, spread of Islam and the formation of Yayasan Sabah.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 31 July 1918 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kudat ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P19))
- **Died:** 2 January 1995 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kota Kinabalu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Malaysia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P106))
- **Political party:** United Sabah National Organisation ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P102))
- **Positions held:** Minister of Defence (1974–1974); Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah (16 September 1963 – 16 September 1965); member of the Dewan Rakyat ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P39))
- **Awards:** Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124#P166))

## Questions

**When was Datu Mustapha Datu Harun born?**  
Datu Mustapha Datu Harun was born on 31 July 1918 in Kudat.

**What positions has Datu Mustapha Datu Harun held?**  
Positions held by Datu Mustapha Datu Harun include: Minister of Defence (1974–1974); Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah (1963–1965); member of the Dewan Rakyat.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Datu Mustapha Datu Harun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datu_Mustapha_Datu_Harun) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q201124](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201124) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Mustapha Harun.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mustapha_Harun.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Mustapha Harun.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Datu Mustapha Datu Harun". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/datu-mustapha-datu-harun. Retrieved 8 November 2026.