Tropical rainforests come under increasing threats from anthropogenic pressures. In Singapore, much of the original forest has been removed, with the remaining ~0.2% surrounded by secondary forests. We conducted repeated surveys over 19 years in a 2-ha primary forest plot in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. All trees ≥1cm dbh in the plot were enumerated. Overall turnover rates fluctuated between every census; the smallest trees had the largest fluctuations in mortality. Medium-sized trees had consistent increases in abundance throughout the whole study period, while tree abundance ≥60cm dbh had a sharp decrease in 1997, a strong El Niño year. 61.1% of trees measured in the first census were still alive after 19 years, and most of them grew from 1-2cm to 2-5cm. Overall growth rates decreased over the study period in every size class, similar to findings from forests in Panama and Malaysia. Growth rates of the most abundant Dipterocarp, Shorea curtisii, were higher than other abundant species. Streblus elongatus became the most abundant species in the plot after the decline of Santiria apiculata. Although there were some shifts in species abundance, there was no evidence to show that this forest is degenerating during the study period.