By Nivell Rayda

Copyright channelnewsasia

Although the province has stopped short of a blanket ban, Abdullah of MUI said the Islamic body views the regulation as “an acceptable middle ground.”

“We are happy that there is now a clear line which people shouldn’t cross. We are also grateful that alcohol, drugs, inappropriate dancing and other activities which are not in line with religious values are banned,” he said.

Operators also support the regulation.

“If you ask me, does it need to be so loud, I would have to say ‘no’. (It’s) the people who hired us (who) insist that we should be as loud as possible,” sound horeg operator David said. “Thanks to this regulation, now we have an excuse not to meet such demands.”

Enforcement, however, has been inconsistent. Although parade volumes are capped at 80 decibels, CNA found most trucks exceeding 100 decibels during the procession in Jeru on Aug 30, with at least two exceeding 120 decibels even while moving.

“The regulation is still new,” said Purwoto. “But in future, they will be tightly monitored for volume and size. Public safety must come first.”

To Iriana the ear, nose and throat doctor, the limits are still too high.

She has already noticed an uptick in patients that coincides with the rise of sound horegs, though no formal studies exist yet.

“There are limits to what our bodies can endure, and those limits shrink as we age,” the doctor warned.

“Some damage may be temporary, but with extremely loud sounds, the damage can be permanent. We need to protect our ears, because nothing can replace the quality of healthy hearing.”