So, who is shooting the teachers? And why?

Three teachers were shot, gangland-style, in the past two weeks raising fears that if this situation is left unchecked, the shootings will next occur in schools where students could be the victims.

The shootings occurred in Kelantan and Kedah. In all three cases, male teachers were targetted, all at close range while they were in their cars. Two of them were killed on the spot while another is still in hospital in serious condition.

All three incidents occurred while the teachers were either on the way to school or were leaving the school compound.

Police are looking at various motives including the possibility that it involved unpaid debts to illegal moneylenders but so far, there has been no report of any arrests.

It was reported that Malaysia's household debt is reaching dangerous levels, about 83 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and many of those said to be deep in debt are civil servants.

The Malaysian Insider previously reported that many civil servants are struggling to juggle loan repayments while trying to see to their families' needs. Some have taken up second jobs to supplement their income.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) general secretary Lok Yim Pheng called on authorities to probe the cases immediately while issuing a terse message to its members.

"Teachers should focus on their profession," she told The Malaysian Insider.

Persatuan Gerakan Kebangkitan Pendidik Kebangsaan (Pendidik) president Normala Sudirman urged the Education Ministry to pay serious attention to the shooting incidents and take the necessary measures to protect teachers.

"It seems that the lives of teachers have no value," Normala told Harakahdaily.

"This is a worrying situation and if the ministry doesn't take the appropriate action, a scenario may one day develop where students are shot in the classrooms while the teacher is giving lessons," she added.

Normala also proposed the government introduce an insurance scheme for both students and teachers where assistance is provided to family members of those victims who face the same fate.

She said the welfare of teachers needed to be looked into urgently especially when a situation arose where teachers were shot dead while coming and going from school.

"A mechanism is needed now to look after the welfare of teachers, especially at this point when both teachers, students and parents don't feel safe even though they are in the school compound."

The gangland-style murder of Hashim Mat Zain on July 8 is believed to be due to financial reasons and police are now pursuing several leads in the case.

Hashim, 43, who was in charge of student affairs at SK Beris Panchor Tawang, died after being shot three times at point blank range.

The victim was found dead with three gunshot wounds after his car crashed onto the steps of a house about 300m from the school.

"Investigations thus far indicate that the victim had been murdered due to financial reasons," said a senior Federal CID officer.

The officer said authorities have yet to ascertain the motive behind the attempted murder of teacher Mat Zaki Hashim, 35, in Pasir Mas, Kelantan on July 12.

Mat Zaki suffered serious injuries after being shot in the neck in Kampung Kubang Panjang, Pasir Mas. He is still warded at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital.

The third incident occurred on Thursday when a school teacher died after being shot nine times at a traffic-light junction near Simpang Empat Keladi in Kulim.

K. Shanmugam, 45, from Taman Bidara, had stopped at the junction at about 12.30pm when two men on a black Yamaha LC motorcycle approached from behind the left side of the car.

Witnesses told police that one of them took out a gun and fired repeatedly at the victim.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Shanmugam's father as saying that his son was never involved in any criminal activity or gangsterism.

A. Krishnasamy, 73, said his son, the youngest of seven siblings, was much loved by the family, relatives and friends.

He said he did not believe that his son, who is also Kilang Lama MIC chief, was involved in any immoral activity as he was a teacher and had been teaching for over 20 years.

"My family and I were disappointed when he was linked to gangsters because he was actually a very likeable teacher and had good relations with all. I know my son inside out," Krishnasamy said when met at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH) Forensic Department here yesterday.

He hoped that police would carry out a thorough investigation to bring his son's killers to justice.

Shanmugam, who graduated from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), was a Physical Education and History teacher at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Berapit, Bukit Mertajam.

He leaves behind a wife and four children aged between five and 15.

Meanwhile, according to Bernama, police have confirmed that Shanmugam did not have any criminal record.