Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus Bin Sakmud

Professional Career:

• Instrument engineer at Sabah Forest Industries (1992)
• Engineer and Manager at Telekom Malaysia (1993–2013)
• Management consultant (from 2013 onward)
• Board member, Sabah Tourism Board (2018–2021)
• Political Secretary to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (dates unspecified but implied pre-2022)

Political Tenure:

• Contesting in Sabah State Legislative Assembly constituencies: Usukan (2013), Tempasuk (2018, 2020); though unsuccessful, he built a public presence.
• Elected MP for Sepanggar in 2022 (parliamentary seat) and then entered the federal executive as Deputy Minister .

• Strong involvement in Sabah’s political structure — from grassroots to state-level leadership.

Political Offices Held:

• Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia, since 12 December 2023
• Previously served as Deputy Minister of Human Resources, from 10 December 2022 to 12 December 2023
• Member of Parliament (MP) for Sepanggar, since 19 November 2022, winning with a majority of 7,042 votes
• State Chairman of PKR (People’s Justice Party) Sabah, starting 26 May 2024.

Political Party Affiliation

• People’s Justice Party (PKR) since at least 2013 — a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition
• Has served as a Division Chief of Kota Belud (PKR) and since 2024 as the State Chairman of PKR Sabah

Viral Bribery-Related Video Scandals

In June 2025, Mustapha, who serves as PKR Sabah State Chairman, expressed shock over fresh allegations involving local assemblymen implicated in bribery-related videos—reports suggested nearly RM4 million in bribes were involved. He acknowledged that the scandal could potentially shift Sabah’s political landscape.Borneo Post OnlineSayang Sabah

Unreleased Political Videos

Also in June 2025, he commented on alleged political videos involving GRS leaders discussing project allocations. While the videos were not publicly released, Mustapha warned of potential repercussions on seat negotiations and directed PKR machinery to remain vigilant.Daily Express

Calls for Calm Amid Voter Frustration

In April 2023, frustrated Sepanggar constituents—dissatisfied with water shortages and traffic issues—threatened to protest at the Sabah Water Department. Mustapha urged for calm and directed the residents to negotiate directly with the Water Department.The Vibes

Internal Party Boycott Dispute

In 2022, Mustapha responded to a boycott by 16 PKR branch leaders who skipped a State Leadership Council meeting. He stated the boycott disrespected party leadership, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while asserting that the meeting remained valid and met quorum requirements.Deasoka

Avoiding Political Rift Over Upcoming Elections

• In March 2025, he advised against overlapping electoral seats in Sabah in order to preserve unity within the “Madani” government framework ahead of the state election.Utusan Malaysia

• July 2025, it was reported that the Deputy Higher Education Minister denied that his wife was linked to the tragic death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir, calling the claim “slander.” The incident occurred in Papar and drew public attention; Mustapha clarified that his wife had served as a principal at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan from March to November of the previous year before retiring Malaysiakini.

Source: Malaysiakini, 31 July 2025 (with full URL link provided below).
Full news link: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/750698

NA – Refer to Controversies