I recently watched the movie ‘Lincoln' and one scene in the movie still resonates with me.

In it Lincoln said that a compass will point true north but it will not show you the swamps and obstacles that may lie in its path.

In those instances, what is the use of knowing true north? There is rarely a day nowadays where politics does not dominate our everyday conversation, be it with my family or friends.

By all accounts, many say Malaysia is approaching its most definitive election in GE13, with a potential change of government for the first time in our history.

What is undeniable is a political awakening and consciousness which is unprecedented in the citizenry of our young nation.

But ask ourselves, before we even negotiate the obstacles ahead, do we even agree on what is the true north for Malaysia?

Are there a set of principles that can embody what Malaysians of all ethnicities, religion and economic strata can cherish as common values?

For too long, BN has been peddling the politics of NO.

NO we are not ready to remove affirmative action (even though after 40 odd years of BN leadership, much of our Malay brethren are living below the poverty line) NO the country will descend into chaos if Pakatan wins (never mind that the states governed by Pakatan have been peaceful and developing).

BN pretends to be the well-meaning patrician who knows it all, while in actual fact it is a deeply insecure and self-serving charlatan, selling a failed roadmap of the country, which is leading us down the road to economic perdition and social fragmentation.

Are there some fundamental values that can bind us as Malaysians that are diametrically opposite from the doctrines of fear drummed into our head by the ruling coalition BN all these years?

Surely the alleviation of poverty, elimination of ethnic discrimination, strict anti-corruption of ruling officials, zero tolerance of religious bigotry; these are things which a large cross segment of Malaysians can agree upon.

Surely these are noble goals that every Malaysian should hope that can come to embody the future narrative of Malaysia.

Another common caution I hear repeated by even my own family members is, what if the opposition come to power, will there be chaos?

Will all that we have gained be lost? These are mindsets which have been drummed into us by BN for so many years.

BN only knows the politics of negativity and feudalism that Malaysians should live their lives with the brakes on, always moving slowly, cautious to the point of stagnation and regression according to the guidance of the government of the day, which in BN's case can be no other party or coalition.

We have been asked for too long to settle for just enough, never once allowing us to question whether our potential as a people and nation is so much more?

A statement by PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah I heard in a private ceramah three weeks or so ago resounds with me still.

To a question by an audience member who asked whether a Pakatan Rakyat can govern well in its first 100 and indeed 1,000 days, she answered succinctly, that "Politicians are given too much credit!"

The underlying reasoning behind this statement of hers is that in any democracy, our Parliamentary representatives are neither miracle workers nor superhumans.

Rather they are to act as beacons of the hopes and desires of the constituency of people represented by them.

Their aim is to provide policy guidance and to be moral compasses and guardians of the conscience of their constituents.

She went on to name a string of well-respected Malaysians in various key fields like economics and constitutional law who will be tapped to provide valuable input in the rehabilitation of our country.

Let's be honest, the current crop of BN ministers are not exactly crack administrators, nor policy geniuses, with some even alleged to be holding degrees from suspect universities!

All politicians rely on the efficacy of a largely functioning if rather sluggish and bloated Malaysian civil service to govern the country.

We simply need politicians to represent values of righteousness, to do what is correct.

They need the empathy and drive to want to uplift the masses yet the humility to listen to those worth listening to and carrying out well-thought-out policies.

On a different note, one heartening aspect of Malaysia's future is the obvious passion that many of the Malaysian diaspora numbering more than a million, still harbour towards the future of the country.

It is fascinating that many Malaysians who have lived 10, 20 or 30 years overseas, still keenly maintain a feel on the pulse of the country.

I follow the enthusiastic Facebook comments of my friends and relatives, many who now reside and work overseas, and so many are ceaselessly following the ebb and flow of the run-up to GE13.

It is my genuine hope that if there is a change of government and a movement towards a more compelling, fair and progressive story for a future Malaysia, part of this diaspora will return.

They will add their own invaluable experience to the emerging fabric of a dynamic, fair and progressive Malaysia.

I can imagine a ferment of smart and effective ideas pushing the nation ahead, raising the livelihoods of Malaysian citizens across the nation.

Malaysia is a nation with many ills.

The old narratives of the Grand Old Party of Malaysia, Umno, is one of a broken record that has patently failed.

It is a given that Pakatan will encounter obstacles in rehabilitating the ills of the country in its quest for true north.

Make no mistake, there are many wrongs that have to be undone and there will be bumps along the way.

Swamps and mountains will have to be navigated.

Pakatan will not be perfect.

The judiciary, the police force, the educational system, true constitutional federalism, just to pick a few low hanging fruit, need extensive reform.

Any new journey into the unknown, entails its own dangers, but if we place our faith in a constellation of members of Parliament (and state assemblypersons) who represent the basic values of true north, that of fairness, equality, meritocracy, non-racial discrimination, surely, we will only move closer to our country's true north.

That is a risk worth taking for the future generations to come.

Finally from a personal perspective it looks likely that my second-born will be delivered on May 6, 2013.

I pray as any parent above all, for his safe delivery into this world.

However, I also fervently hope that the Malaysia he is born into next week will be a country that offers him the greatest of opportunities to grow and develop as a human being, that he is born a Malaysian, taking his place in the Malaysian sun and being told to explore the fullest of his abilities, to be the best man he can aspire to be.

It's amazing isn't it, what simple hopes and liberties we wish for our future generations.

Wouldn't it be just great if that came true on the night of May 5, 2013.

Wouldn't it be just great.