In this essay, the author emphasizes a number of key issues in Malaysian social science and humanities research, namely the importance of appreciating both intellectual and social history and the significant contribution of the early generation of social science and humanities scholars in laying the foundation for a new orientation in Malaysian social science and humanities. The author also draws attention to examples of the pioneering scholars and their works that have contributed towards defining the field in keeping with their understanding of the problem and the concerns of the age, and also shows the contribution of later scholars in this endeavour. To move forward and advance social science and humanities research, he suggests the need for the scholarly community to go beyond the earlier scholars and define the field consistent with the demands of the new era and the current state of the art. To do this, they need among others the creative sociological imagination and they must raise the quality and rigour of their research - an issue that should be dealt with urgently and effectively by our universities and the social science community. This essay is a must read by all Malaysian social science and humanities scholars and students so that they can have a good grasp of history and the challenges to move forward.