SYMBOLIC GESTURE OF 'GIVING' DAUGHTER TO AUNTIE LI NA

The Malays believe that when a child is sickly, the parents of the child would go through a ceremony to 'give' their child to someone else.  It would be preferable if the person is much older than the parents and of another race and religion.  Sometimes, they would even choose people who are very poor to 'give' or 'sell' the child to.  However, this is only symbolic.  In this way, it is believed that the child grow up healthy.
My colleague, Idzarif's daughter, Nana has been in and out of hospital since she was small and my friends and I suggested that he 'sell' the little girl to Auntie Li Na in the hope that she will have a change of fate and become healthy.
This afternoon, he brought Nana over to carry out the ceremony to 'give' his little daughter to me.  I paid him 20 sen as a symbolic gesture of 'buying' the girl from him.  After that Nana's daddy brought her back to the babysitter.  Hopefully, the ritual works and Nana grows up to be strong and healthy.