Apart from the kuay or basket, another important item is the ‘salak’, which is really like a message or letter to the deceased person to whom the merit is being offered, usually a relative. In the past the salak was made of palm leaves, but it’s now replaced by a leaf or paper. People write the names of their passed-away relatives, or deities - and even the animals that help them such as buffaloes and dogs, perhaps adding some words or a prayer. They also put their own names in too, so that the good karma generated will flow both ways - to recipients and themselves.