Located 3.2 km (2.0 mi) south of the city centre, Jelutong has been inhabited since as early as the late 18th century, when traders from Aceh and India settled around the area.

In spite of industrialisation, some fishing communities continued to exist up until recently and charcoal makers still make a living from the mangrove swamps along the coast.

It was in the Jelutong parliamentary constituency where Karpal Singh, a prominent Malaysian lawyer, first entered the national political scene.

Historically, Jelutong Road serves as the main thoroughfare within the suburb, allowing motorists from the city centre to head south towards Bayan Lepas.

[2] In recent years, the completion of the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway has considerably reduced the daily traffic congestion along Jelutong Road, as motorists now use the coastal expressway to commute between the city centre and Bayan Lepas, bypassing Jelutong Road entirely.