KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 2 -- Imagine this: You are having a party in your house with friends, and suddenly a group of men in plain clothes knock on your door, saying they are the police and want to enter.

Lawyer Collin Arvind Andrew said the first thing you should do is verify that they are indeed police officers by asking to see their identification.

This is a precaution against any robbers impersonating the police, he said.

"We have a right to be shown an authority card," said the co-chair of the Bar Council's National Legal Aid and YBGK Committee at the Malaysian Bar's recent MyBar Carnival.

According to the Malaysian Bar's "Red Book" or its "The Police and Your Basic Rights" pamphlet, these are what the colours of a police authority ca...