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In anticipation of a High Court ruling on former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest application, Berita Harian spoke to his personal chef Jaafar Ishak this morning.
At the time hopeful of Najib’s release from Kajang Prison, Jaafar said if the former was allowed to go under house arrest, he would prepare Najib’s favourite dish: sup kicap.
This was not meant to be as the court ruled against house arrest which means Najib is to remain at Kajang Prison for the remainder of his sentence.
READ MORE: No House Arrest For Najib, Court Orders Him To Remain In Kajang Prison
So what is sup kicap?
It’s a Malaysian dish with roots in local cooking culture, especially around Pekan, Pahang where it’s often served at kenduri (feasts) and family gatherings.
Najib is formerly the MP for Pekan.
At its core, sup kicap is a savoury soup flavoured with soy sauce (kicap). Unlike typical clear Asian soups, the broth has a darker colour and a richer, slightly salty-sweet umami profile thanks to the soy sauce base, a flavour Malaysians enjoy in many everyday dishes.
“Kicap” itself is the Malay term for soy sauce, a fermented soya bean condiment widely used across Malaysia that brings colour and depth to foods.
While sup kicap isn’t as universally known as sup tulang or sup ayam, in places like Pekan it’s a norm at weddings and kenduri, often paired with rice.
How Sup Kicap Is Made
Here’s a basic idea of how a traditional sup kicap might be cooked:
Ingredients
Meat or bones (beef)
Aromatics: garlic, onions, ginger
Soy sauce, usually kicap masin (salty soy sauce) to give flavour and colour
Optional additions: potatoes, chilli padi, lime for zest
Basic seasonings: salt, sugar to balance flavours
The result? A bowl of warm, comforting soup that’s less clear and light than typical broths, with a distinctive savoury kick that pairs perfectly with rice or bread on the side.
For those from other states, this is something like daging masak kicap, but with more gravy.
While Najib’s private chef has to hold off on serving sup kicap to his boss at home, there’s no reason why you can’t give it a try for dinner.
Here’s a recipe we found on the Internet.
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