‘Dear You’ brings back memories of hardship, sacrifice, Dayak resilience, says political pundit

Minos (left) draws parallels between ‘Dear You’ (right) and Dayak journeys of hardship and hope.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, July 9: The Chinese film “Dear You” has brought back shared memories of homesickness, sacrifice and the deep bond between family members separated by mountains and rivers, reflecting the enduring spirit and tenacity of the Dayak communities in the old days, political pundit Dato Peter Minos said.

Minos said the film, which he watched twice, was a powerful portrayal of love, loyalty and the struggles of immigrants who left their homeland in search of a better future, adding that its message resonated strongly with the experiences of many Sarawakians, especially the Dayak communities.

“It was a truly great film, well-made and well done. It was very emotional,” he said in a statement today.

Minos noted that the film portrays the journey of a man who left China in the early 1900s for a better life in Thailand, leaving behind his wife and three children. In an unfamiliar land, he struggled to work in harsh environment and later attempted to build a business from nothing while enduring loneliness, uncertainty and hardship, sending money home from his limited earnings to support his family.

He said the story also reminded him of the experiences of many Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu children who left their longhouses and villages in the 1950s and early 1960s to pursue secondary education in distant towns.

“Many of these young students faced difficult journeys, travelling through jungles, swamps, hills and mountains, sometimes walking for a day or even several days, before reaching schools far away from their families.

“Life was very tough for the young kids: fending for themselves in strange towns, missing their loved ones at home and struggling with their studies,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Minos said many succeeded and went on to become university graduates, professionals, civil servants, as well as members of the military and police force, contributing to their families, Sarawak and the country.

He said the experiences of Chinese migrants who left China in the 1800s and early 1900s and Dayak youths who left their longhouses and villages decades later shared a common story of courage and determination.

“Both left their homes and loved ones for a better income, for better education and in search of a better life. All had gone through pains and sufferings, physically and mentally,” he said.

According to Minos, the common thread linking these stories was the strength of the human spirit and the determination to overcome adversity.

“Nothing compares to the great human spirit for survival and for a better life. This is the spirit that we want to pass to our children and future generations,” he said.

Directed and co-written by Lan Hongchun and starring Li Sitong and Wang Yantong, “Dear You” is told in the Teochew dialect spoken in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong. The film explores the themes of family, sacrifice and the enduring legacy of “qiaopi” — the historical letters and remittances sent by overseas Chinese migrants to their families back home.

The film has struck a strong chord with overseas Chinese audiences and has become a major box office success, reportedly earning about US$290 million globally.

Since its release in major cinemas across Malaysia on June 18, Dear You has set a record as the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Malaysia for 2026, surpassing RM15 million in box office collections as of July 4. — DayakDaily