More Indonesians have become Singapore citizens in the past two years, reversing a previous decline, according to the records of Indonesia's embassy here. The number rose from about 630 in 2010 to about 740 in 2011 and climbed again to about 870 last year. The drop in 2010 was probably due to Singapore tightening its immigration policies in the run-up to the 2011 General Election, said SMU Assistant Professor of Asian Studies Hoon Chang Yau. Fears that Singapore immigration policies could become even more strict may have led to the subsequent increases, he added. "Some Indonesians may have felt they should take up citizenship immediately or it would be tougher to do so in the future." He also noted that there are no strong "push factors" like the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when Chinese Indonesians left in droves as rioters targeted their homes and businesses. Ties between the Chinese and the Indonesian government, as well as other Indonesian ethnic groups, have been on the mend since then, said Assistant Prof Hoon.