Earlier this month, Science published a feature article titled "Malaysia is ground zero for the next malaria menace." This is the second time in recent months that cases of monkey malaria made the news. In response, the Ministry of Health released a statement acknowledging that the number of monkey malaria in humans increased from 376 cases in 2008 to 3,614 cases in 2017. To help us understand the threat of monkey malaria, we have the author behind the news, Law Yao Hua, and molecular parasitologist and director of the Malaria Research Centre in UNIMAS, Prof Balbir Singh.