Bidar Alam

In late 1948 and early 1949, the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) moved inland to evade Dutch pursuit, initially from the city of Bukittinggi, then to Payakumbuh, before leaving urban settlements. By 9 January 1949, one of the groups, led by PDRI head Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, had reached Bidar Alam and shelved plans to advance further towards Pekanbaru due to Dutch advances.^[3] The local population was generally supportive of the PDRI and provided accommodation and food to the government officials. Supported by Indonesian Air Force personnel, PDRI established a mobile radio station at the town to communicate with the outside world.^[4] One villager's house (today known as Jama's House) was used by Sjafruddin, and doubled as the printing location for PDRI's currency.^[5]

The relative safety at the village allowed PDRI to communicate with guerrilla fighters in Java and consolidate a provisional government. PDRI remained at Bidar Alam until late April 1949, when they moved once more following the news of negotiations between the Dutch and Indonesians.^[6] Compared to the other towns and villages which the PDRI had been based from, Bidar Alam hosted it the longest, for three and a half months.^[4] A small monument in the village commemorates PDRI's presence there.^[7]

Rice, coffee and rubber are cultivated in the village.^[2] It is accessible by road to the rest of the district and regency, and hosts the sole puskesmas in Sangir Jujuan.^[1]

Since 2006, villagers from Bidar Alam have been involved in an agricultural land dispute against the agricultural company PT RAP over an oil palm plantation.^[8][9]