It has been believed that the name Jinjang was derived from the name of a pig brought to Malaya by a Chinese merchant in the 19th century.

[3] The town in its modern form was established as part of the British strategy called the Briggs Plan during the Malayan Emergency.

The strategy aimed to relocate the colony’s large rural ethnic Chinese population of Malaya into more concentrated and governable spaces; in an effort to cut off supplies – mainly food, money and military provisions – to the MCP and MNLA.

[4][5] During early post-independence years until the 1960s, the town gained a "fearsome" reputation due to the presence of bandit members; the notorious "Robin Hood" criminal Botak Chin was said to have been active in the area.

Older residents surmised that the area's alleged seedy reputation likely stemmed from the fact that most early inhabitants were working-class and thus viewed with prejudice.