Redbook pamphlet: know your rights when stopped by police

When you are stopped or visited by somebody who claims to be police, how should you identify if the person is an authorized police or a faked one? What should you respond and what is your basic rights?

The Malaysian Bar (Badan Peguam Malaysia) published the famous Red Book: Police and Your Basic Rights (Polis Dan Hak-hak Asas Anda) in 2006 to inform citizens and non-citizens in Malaysia of their basic rights vis-à-vis the police.

Further to the overwhelming respond to the Red Book, they've then produced a 2 pages Redbook Pamphlet that outlines the powers of the police in relation to arrests, body searches and the remand process, and the public’s rights when stopped and questioned, and during detention.


The flowchart below is produced based on the information regarding public’s rights when stopped and questioned by police.
 

Make sure you ask for the Police Authority Card (Kad Kuasa Polis) from the officer when stopped. There are 4 different possible colours:

• Blue: Rank of Inspector and above
• Yellow: Below the rank of Inspector
• White: Reserve police
• Red: Suspended Police Officer. He has no authority to do anything to you. Walk away.

Here is how the blue and yellow cards look like...

Click here to download the Redbook pamphlet from Malaysian Bar (English).
Click here to download the Redbook pamphlet from Malaysian Bar (Malay).