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ormer vice president Jusuf Kalla, in his capacity as chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), on Sunday started a nationwide program aimed at reducing noise from amplified sermons.

On Sunday, Kalla dispatched 50 cars, manned by more than 150 technicians, to help mosque caretakers improve the sound quality of their amplification systems.

Kalla said that other than reducing noise, the technical assistance would also help to ensure those attending mosque could hear Muslim preachers'€™ complete message.

'€œImagine if the preacher is Quraish Shihab, but [a bad sound system affected] the message. What a loss,'€ Kalla said in his speech to launch the program, referring to a moderate Muslim cleric who is known for his pluralist interpretation of the Koran.

Kalla said that majority of mosques in the country, even those built in affluent areas, did not have decent amplification systems.

Kalla has repeatedly complained about the country'€™s poor quality sound systems and that such subpar sound resulted in noise pollution.

Kalla said in 2013 that the DMI would initiate a countrywide sound system donation program.

Kalla has also proposed a ban on the amplification of mosque services, the DMI is now working on its technical details.

He said that it was alright for mosques to use the loudspeaker for azan (call for prayer) but not for other purposes.

In his speech on Sunday, Kalla also blasted the government for not doing enough to assist in the management of the country'€™s some 800,000 mosques.

He said that the government had not disbursed funds for mosques.

'€œMosques are the most important religious institution, but the government is preoccupied with haj pilgrimage. In countries like Brunei [Darussalam] and Turkey, the government allocates money to mosques,'€ he said.

He said that the government should be responsible as mosques today could turn into a breeding ground for radicalism.

'€œSo if a mosque turns radical, the government [is to blame] because it does not pay enough attention,'€ Kalla said.

Noise from mosques in the country has become a source of annoyance even for Muslim.

Last year, an elderly man in Banda Aceh won a rare victory against a noisy mosque, despite being forced to withdraw legal action after an angry mob threatened to kill him.

Sayed Hasan, 75, filed a lawsuit in December 2012, in which he complained of being disturbed by lengthy recordings of Koranic verses.

But Sayed, a Muslim, said despite seeing the deputy mayor and Muslim leaders, and then being escorted to the court where he was forced to withdraw his legal suit, he had ultimately won a rare victory.

After he dropped his case, the volume was significantly turned down by about half.

In April 2012, Vice President Boediono triggered a debate by saying that mosques need not be too loud, something that few officials dare to say openly.

'€œWe are all aware that the azan is a holy call for Muslims to perform their prayers,'€ he said at the DMI annual conference.

'€œBut I, and probably others too, feel that the sound of azan heard faintly from a distance resonate more in our hearts that those that are too loud and too close to our ears,'€ Boediono said.