Malaysian terror suspects were threatened that they would be handed over to the US authorities at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre where they would face 'severe torture, a Human Rights Watch report says.

The 57-page report details widespread abuse and humiliation of suspects being held without trial under national security laws in Malaysia. Malaysia is a close US ally in the war on terrorism and has shared intelligence with Washington about Al Qaeda operations in Southeast Asia.

The report says the US abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan has given other nations an excuse to torture terror suspects.

"US abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo shows what can happen behind closed doors," HRW deputy director Sam Zarifi said in a statement.