Bringing ecosystem services back to degraded areas through land restoration is a complex task across countries. For the establishment of vegetation, selecting high-performing plant species using ecological trait-based profiling was conducted to initiate restoration projects. Six-leaf ecological traits of twelve plant species were investigated, including Specific Leaf Area (SLA), Leaf Dry Matter Content (LDMC), Leaf Nitrogen Concentration (LNC), chlorophyll content, stomatal density, and stomata aperture size. The correlation between SLA and LNC, and also SLA and LDMC, indicated plant trade-offs in growth and life history strategy related to herbivory and flammability, respectively. SLA and LDMC are considered two strong predictors of plant performance which serve as the main requirement for selecting plant species in restoration, especially in growth performance (SLA), flammability, and herbivore resistance (LDMC). Moreover, according to the tropical Malesian region, leaf traits of exotic species Swietenia macrophylla and Ficus religiosa indicated a risk of invasiveness to some extent. Among ten native species, Protium javanicum, Syzygium polyantum, Canarium vulgare, and Artocarpus heterophyllus are considered the pioneer species in restoration. The pioneers with intensive weed control are Durio zibethinus and Cinnamomum sintoc. Whilst, the other native species Cynometra schefferi, Dimocarpus longan, Garcinia dulcis, Diospyros celebica are considered inserted species. We demonstrated that plant profiling using eco-physiological traits takes an important role in plant species selection, which serves as a critical stage in successful restoration programs.