Introduction The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pan- demic is a new tragedy in human civilisation. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan China and spread rapidly, resulting in an on-go- ing global pandemic (Hui et al, 2020). As COVID-19 is primarily spread between people during close contact, either via coughing, sneez- ing or talking (WHO, 2020), social distancing became the leading prevention approach adopted by most counties, including Malaysia. Since the introduction of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, people are required to restrict their activities by working from home (WFH). Almost all except for essential services. economic sectors are closed except for essential services. Included in the essential services are food, healthcare, water, energy, security and defense, solid waste and public cleansing, commu- nication, banking and finance, ecommerce and logistics (Bernama, 2020). Due to this restriction, it is just not affecting the economic activities by the existing employers and employees, but it also affects the work of interns, including the final Bia i June 2020 | ISSN: 2289-8263 Muhammad Iqmal Hisham Kamaruddin Graduate Fellow Faculty of Economics and Muamalat Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia year students from the Faculty of Economics and Muamalat (FEM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USI). Some of the intems also have to work from. home. The economic slowdown due to COVID-19 also affects graduate employability (GE) of the intems. Based on the survey conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), food and beverages industries becoming the main sector where workers are loosing their job which is 35.4%, followed by agriculture (21.9%) and con- struction (11.8%). Besides, 46.6% of self-employed are losing their job due to COVID-19 (DOSM, 2020). ‘According to the Malaysian Employers Federa- tion, COVID-19 will cost more than two million people in Malaysia their jobs and the unemploy- ment rate would soar to 10% or even 15% (Hoh, 2020). Therefore, identifying and understanding the impact of COVID-19 is important since it will have an impact on graduate employability. Faculty of Economics and Muamalat Internship The Centre of Alumni and Career, USIM conduct- ed a survey during mid April 2020 to 324 FEM's final year students doing intemships. Based on the student's background information, 83 are males and 259 are female respondents. Majority cof them (80%) undergone internship in private sector (83%), followed by public (11.7%) and others (5.3%) sectors. The other sectors refer to the government linked companies and statutory bodies,The Muamalat Newsletter For the geographical location, majority of them inteming in the city (73.1%), followed by capital city internship (19.6%) and the least is rural area internship (7.3%). For internship monthly allow- ance, more than half of the students received below than RM500 per month (57.6%). While 24.9% of the students received between RMSOI- RM1,000 per month. Another 16.7% do not receive any allowance, while three students received more than RM1,000 allowance per month. Readiness to Internship during MCO Period The findings show that 73% of intems believe that they are ready to perform their intemship during COVID-19 by WFH approach. Comparison males and females responses, there is a difference (4.3%, mean difference = 0.215] regarding readiness to WFH. Male students believe they are ready to do internship via WFH compared to female students. Similarly, there is a statistically significant differ- ence in internship area with regards to readiness to WFH. The rural areas intemships perceive that they have lower readiness as compared to capi- tal city intemship (6.24%, mean difference = 0.312) ‘and city intemship (10%, mean difference = 0.500). Readiness to Join GE Programs In general, the findings reveal that 82.46% of the students believed that they are ready to join GE programs during COVID-19 crisis. Gender wise, there are no significant difference between males and females respondents regarding their read- iness to join GE programs. However, there is a statistically significant difference in internship areas. In this case, results show that students who have their internship at capital city area perceive that they have a lower readiness as compared to city (13.1%, mean difference = 0.655) and rural (10.88%, mean difference = 0.544) areas to join GE programs. Future Job Prospects The finding indicates that only 54.04% (mean = 2.702) of the students believed about pros- pect of works after COVID-19. Male and female students (1.34%, mean difference = 0.067) are believed that COVID-19 affects the prospect of works in the future. Similarly, there is insignificant difference in intemship area when students who have their internships at capital city, city and rural areas are similarly believed that COVID-19 affects future job prospects. June 2020 | ISSN: 2289-8263 The Impact of COVID-19 on Internship This survey calibrates the impact of COVID-19 on the GE of FEM’s final year students. The impact on the readiness to internship during MCO period, readiness to join GE programs and future job prospects are discussed. In short, the final year students are ready to do their internship during MCO period. They are also are ready to join GE programs conduct- ed by USIM during the pandemic. However, the students believe that the labor market post COVID-19 is fight. In terms of comparison among students’ attri- butes towards the impact of COVID-19 on GE, gender does not play a significant role in such a decision except for internship during MCO period. However, internship area has a significant effect on the agreement on the impact of COVID-19 on GE. In this case, rural areas interns tend to have low readiness to work during MCO period. This might be due to lack of supportive ecosystem to WFH as compared to students inteming at capital city and city. On the other hand, capital city interns display low readiness to join GE programs. Perhaps higher infection rates of COVID-19 in capital city and city areas influence their percep- tions. As regards to future jobs prospects, all of them believed that job prospects are poor. Conclusion The Faculty of Economics and Muamalat has taken proactive measures to ensure gradu- ate employability during the health crisis. This includes conducting GE programs to prepare graduates with necessary skills upon entering jobs market. The Faculty can also identify potential industrial players who are actively recruiting and hiting fresh graduates and strengthen industrial linkages Acknowledgement The author would like to thank Mr. Mohd Asri Hj. Husin, Director of the Centre of Alumni and Career, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, for data contribution.The Muamalat Newsletter June 2020 | ISSN: 2289-8263 “In terms of comparison among students'attributes towards the impact of COVID-19 on GE, gender does not play a sig- nificant role in such a decision except for internship during MCO period. However, internship area has a significant effect on the agreement on the impact of COVID-19 on GE. In this case, rural areas interns tend to have low readi- ness to work during MCO period. This might be due to lack of supportive ecosystem to WFH as compared to students interning at capital city and city.” References Bernama. 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