The country focused on the massive clean-up after floods that displaced more than 110,000 people, a task estimated to take some three months, as the waters began to subside.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the government must review flooding defence infrastructure after the torrential rainfalls that have submerged parts of Johor since December.

"There is a lot of new thinking that has to be done. People have stopped working and businesses have completely been damaged in this flood for one whole month," he said.

"I don't think this is a one-off flood. It is going to be a new phenomenon in the state of Johor," he said.

Works Minister S Samy Vellu has said that damaged infrastructure will cost RM350 million to repair. The private sector has reportedly estimated economic losses at RM2.4 billion.

With rescue and relief efforts now halted, labour and equipment are being mobilised to clear the debris, repair damaged infrastructure and reconstruct homes.

Weather conditions improving

The New Straits Times newspaper quoted Johor Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman as saying the state government aims to complete the process within three months.

"We must quickly get over this calamity and move on with our development priorities," Abdul Ghani said.

With weather conditions improving, more people are leaving evacuation centres.

In Johor there were some 61,987 evacuees in relief centres, down from a peak of about 110,000 on Monday, while the number of evacuees in other affected states of Pahang had dropped to 290 and 51 in Sabah.