THIS would be a chest-thumping moment for Ezion Holdings, a listed offshore marine services firm, which will soon count veteran businessman Quek Leng Chan as its second top shareholder.

Who would doubt having a seasoned corporate bigwig among big shareholders of a company to inspire more confidence in it?

The Malaysian tycoon brings to Ezion's table - thanks to Credit Suisse, which brought the parties together - corporate stealth built over decades and the single most crucial element in the oil and gas space: connections.