Sunday 9 June 2013

Bedagai

Bedagai is a regency on the east coast of North Sumatra. It has a trading port. The capital is Sei Rampah. It once had 2 sultanates ruling the regency, the Serdang Sultanate and the Padang Bedagai Sultanate.

Bedagai is close to Batubara Regency. Batubara is noted for its docks and ship building. Its early ship captains landed in Penang well before Captain Francis Light arrived in Penang. One famous ship captain was Nakhoda nan Intan, whose descendants live in modern Penang today.

The word Bedagai was mentioned when I was writing the biography of Dr Ali Othman Merican (Dr A.O. Merican). One Malay man is a group photo was named Bedagai Aceh. He must have been a Sumatran trader from Bedagai or Aceh.

Bedagai Aceh is seated at leftmost. Seated in the middle is Othman Merican @ Che Teh. Che Teh's sons are the rest of the boys. Dr Ali Othman Merican (Dr AO Merican) is standing at leftmost, nearest Bedagai Aceh. Image originator: Ayah Wan Noordin Merican in Facebook. Image was obtained from Tamin Merican who obtained it from Ayah Wan Noordin Merican.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serdang_Bedagai_Regency