Founded by ethnic Minangkabaus in the early 18th century, Batu Uban is regarded as the oldest Malay settlement on Penang Island.

The area was said to have been named after a sea boulder, which was covered in dried grass, off the coast of what is now Batu Uban; this grassy rock resembled white hair from afar.

[1] The establishment of Batu Uban is credited to two ethnic Minangkabaus from Sumatra – Haji Muhammad Salleh (also known as Nakhoda intan) and Jenaton Raha Labu.

[1][5] Rapid Penang bus routes 301, 302, 303 and 304 include stops along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, which forms the western limits of the Batu Uban neighbourhood.

In addition, Batu Uban, situated immediately south of the cross-strait Penang Bridge, is easily accessible for motorists from the mainland Malay Peninsula as well.