Its president Goh Chui Lai said the price for the belly part remained at RM20 per kilogramme in Johor and RM18 in Perak.

“It costs more in Johor as most of the meat has to be transported from Perak,” he said.

While the price of fish and prawns has risen, pork prices remained stable, he said, adding that business had increased by 5 per cent to 10 per cent during the season.

The Terengganu Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consumerism department deputy director Abdul Ghani Harun was satisfied with the reasonable prices of essential items sold by supermarkets, according to The Star Online.

He said supermarket operators in the state had co-operated fully by not hiking the price indiscriminately to take advantage of last-minute shopping.

“The only recalcitrant group are the night market operators who have apparently not abided by the department’s directive,” Abdul Ghani said after launching the Chinese New Year price control campaign at a supermarket in the country on Tuesday.

“We have put 11 items under the scheme, including pork,” he added.

Abdul Ghani advised pork sellers without licenses to obtain them from the department’s offices.

The price of local beef and buffalo meat is not part of the scheme as these items are not in demand during Chinese New Year.